ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

FOR THE PASSAMAQUODDY FOREST PLAN 1998 - 2008

 

I.  PURPOSE AND NEED

Need for the Proposal

The Passamaquoddy Tribal forest Plan, hereafter referred to as the forest Plan, will proivede management direction for the Tribal forest land for the next ten years.  Management direction for the area includes proposed timber sales, recreation activities, and other resource management proposals that have a multiple use objective.

The need for a forest plan is addressed in four sources:

1.  In the code of federal Regulations, Title 25, chapter 1, Part 163.11, it is written, that an appropriate management plan shall be prepared and revised as needed as per P.L. 101-630 for all Indian forest lands.

 2.  In the Bureau of Indian Affairs Manual, 53 BIAM, section 2.4 references that forest management plans are required for all Indian Reservations having forest resources, and the harvest of timber from any Indian forest lands will not be authorized until there have been prescribed methods of cutting, based on sound silvicultural principles.

 3.  The National Indian Forest Resources Management Act of 1990 states that the preparation of a forest management plan is required by 25 USC 3104 (b) (1).

 4.  The Tribe itself: In a Joint council Resolution sighed in December 1988, the Passamaquoddy Tribe approved the proposal to have a long term, sustained yield of forest resources with management policies that ensure resource protection and adequate planning.  These policies would provide a means of economic return, and preserve the cultural, recreational, and wildlife values of tribal lands

 

Proposed Action

The proposed action, which is alternative 2, is needed to implement the forest plan, timber harvesting, wildlife habitat improvement, and managing recreation opportunities upon the tribal lands will help the Tribe move toward a multiple use oriented forest.  Vegetation manipulation is needed to achieve the desired future condition for vegetative composition objectives of quality conifer forests.  This proposed action would help maintain spruce-hemlock and northern hardwoods and other species on Passamaquoddy Forest lands.

The Passamaquoddy Tribal forestry Department proposed the following actions as part of the Forest Plan:

--Permits:

-Free Use Permits:

-Firewood permits would not exceed 10 cords per household per year.

-Personal Use Christmas Tree permits would not exceed five trees per permit.

-Personal Use construction lumber would not exceed one permit for ten thousand    board feet (10 Mbf) per family per year.  Grant up to ten permits per year.  Forestry Department will designate the areas.

 -Charge permits:

-Tipping Permits would require a flat fee of $10.00 per permit per person per year   to cover administrative costs.

-Christmas Trees, for the purpose of resale, would require a $2.00 per tree charge,  with a minimum of five trees per permit.

-If harvesting equipment is to be used, such as skidders or tractors, the area will be designated by the forestry department.

-No firewood cutting will be allowed in a timber sale area until the sale is closed.

--Camp Lots and House Lots:

-Camp Lots and House lots will not be awarded until road access and lots are located and   recommended by forestry, planning, and environmental departments, and approved by the   appropriate tribal council.

-Ensure Maine Land use Regulatory Commission (LURC) and Maine Department of Environmental protection (DEP) regulations are followed to protect the resources.

-House lots and Camp lots may not exceed two acres total in size.

-The clearcut acreage for either a house lot or camp lot may not exceed one acre.  The thinned portion of a lot must have the cut trees or leave trees designated by the forestry department.

-The Forestry Department issues a cutting permit for all lots.  A flat fee of $250.00 per acre, per lot, shall be assessed to the lessee, to be held in escrow until building is completed on the lot.

 --Forest Management:

-Slash Treatment: Along main roads, such as Route 1, Grand Lake Stream road, and peter  Dana point Road, all slash created from timber harvest operations will be lopped and scattered so as to lie within two feet of the ground for a distance of 100 feet from the cleared edge of the roadway.

-Harvest in Indian Township: Allow cutting within the township for the purpose of salvage, recreation, visual enhancement, wildlife habitat improvement, housing, or insect and disease control.  Harvesting along paved roads would be allowed only during winter.  Only selection cutting or thinning would be permitted, unless approved by Joint Council.

Silvicultural Policy: All conifer stands (spruce-hemlock-fir) and quality hardwood stands will be managed on a uneven-aged basis.  A quality stand is classified as a stand with a site index greater than 50.  Even-aged management will occur only for the purpose of wildlife habitat management and/or salvage.  Clearcuts would not normally exceed five acres.  Trees to be cut must be marked with paint or designated by species, as determined   by the Forestry Department

-Management Emphasis Areas: for each of the five geographic management areas, emphasize management of specific forest timber types and wildlife species that are appropriate for that area.  Reference the Alternative Comparison Matrix on page 13.

--Cultural Resources:

-Conduct an intensive survey on all western (Lowelltown, Haleb, Alder Brook, and Prentiss) trust lands so as to identify and evaluate sites of potential historical, cultural, and archaeological significance.  This survey should be completed by the year 2000.

-Property Boundaries:

-Complete all landline location on trust lands by the year 1998.  Maintain all landlines every five to seven years.

--Recreation:

-Develop and maintain dispersed recreation sites as shown on the Maps for Alternatives 2 and 3, pages 58-70, Appendix B.

-Construct two boat landings:

-One at Peter Dana Point as shown in Appendix B.

-One at Indian Township as shown in Appendix B.

-Construct handicapped angler access with fishing piers at Peter Dana Point and Indian Township in conjunction with the boat landing projects, shown on page 70 in appendix B

-Construct hiking trails:

-One to the top of Penobscot Bald Mountain.

-One from the “Strip” to Peter Dana Point.

-Reestablish the campsites at the Pit Campground, and operate on a fee basis.

-Develop a swimming area at Peter Dana Point.

--Wildlife:

-Establish reserve area or special wildlife management areas by geographic location only after an interdisciplinary assessment is submitted and approved by Joint Council.

-Coordinate wildlife management activities with the Tribal Rangers, Maine Forest Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

-Emphasize moose habitat in the Jackman Management Unit (Lowelltown, Holeb, Alder Brook, Hammond, and Prentiss Townships).

--Transportation:

-survey and evaluate all bridges on tribal lands by 1999.

-Adopt road standards used by local industry, see appendix.

-Ensure all graveled haul roads are graded twice yearly, including drainage work and gravel as needed.

-complete a transportation inventory for all roads in tribal ownership by October 1,1995.

--Economics:

-Have cedar shingle mill operational by January, 1999.

-Pursue feasibility and establishment of sawmill on tribal land.

 

LANDS INVOLVED IN THE PLAN

The 10-year Forest Plan will cover four (4) tracts of Tribal Trust Lands totaling 133,677 acres.  Forested lands total 108,535 acres.  Note: the following acreages are based on Passamaquoddy ?forestry Department GIS calculations, and may not necessarily coincide with BIA Realty Trust acreage information.

 

 Table 1:  PASSAMQUODDY TRUST LANDS

 

TOWNSHIP              ACREAGE              FORESTED ACRES

Alder Brook              6,802 Acres             6,407 Acres

Lowelltown             24,169 Acres          21,628 Acres

Prentiss                   11,932 Acres          11,172 Acres

Hammond                  2,274 Acres             2,236 Acres

Holeb                        3,562 Acres             3,285 Acres

T5R1                          7,721 Acres             3,256 Acres

TAR7                          1,838 Acres              1,764 Acres

T3R9                           4,926 Acres              4,730 Acres

T3ND                          4,124 Acres               3,050 Acres

T4ND                         18,958 Acres             16,383 Acres

T5ND                         14,019 Acres             10,419 Acres

 Indian Township         28,526 Acres             21,827 Acres

 Albany                             15 Acres                      0 Acres

Pleasant Point                  212 Acres                      0 Acres

T19MD                          4,599 Acres               2,378 Acres

Totals                     133,677 Acres            108,535 Acres

 

Organization and Funding

The following is the organization necessary to operate an efficient forest resource management program:

 

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Tribal wildlife management program shall be based on the following species emphasis:

Tract 1 (Lowelltown, Holeb, Prints, Alder Brook, Hammond, Soldiertown, and Pittston Academy).  Moose and Bear = regenerating hardwoods and mature hardwoods.

Tract 2 (TAR7, T3R9, T3ND, T4ND, T5ND, T5R1): Moose, Deer = Regenerating hardwoods and dense, shoftwood winter yard areas, mixed wood cover areas.

 Tract 3 (Indian Township, Grand Lake Stream): Moose = Regenerating hardwoods, softwood yarding areas, mixed wood cover areas.

 Tract 4 (Perry, Albany, T19MD): Moose, Deer = same as Tract 2

 In all tracts, the Tribe shall protect Tribally listed, state listed, and federally listed threaened and endangered plant ant animal species, and shall honor recommended guidelines for essential habitat as issued by the Tribal wildlife biologist, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and/or State of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists.

 Prior to any timber harvest or resource management activity, a wildlife assessment shall be completed.

 Deer yard management: During this ten year management period, no harvest shall be permitted in Tribally identified deer yards.  However, in cooperation with the Tribal biologist, USFWS, and/or the State of Maine biologists, a deer yard inventory and management plan shall be completed by 1999.

 Beaver Management: Beaver shall be removed from the areas where roads are threatened to be damaged or become impassable.  The tribal wildlife biologist shall assist in the determination of these areas.

 Game Harvest Guidelines: The Tribal wildlife biologist and USFWS shall perform and inventory and subsequently recommend game harvest guidelines to the Natural Resources committee to ensure a healthy, self sustaining population of game species on Tribal lands.  The inventory and guidelines shall be completed by December,2000. 

 With guidance from biologists, the Tribe shall promote and encourage:

 Fish stocking: In trout lakes and streams less than 10 acres, the Tribe has exclusive jurisdiction.  On bodies of water greater than 10 acres, encompassed by Tribal trust ownership, fish programs shall be coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and wildlife, except on Reservation land.

 Duck boxes: in marshes and ponds where wood ducks may inhabit.  Duck box construction and placement shall be done annually in cooperation with the Indian Township and Pleasant Point elementary schools.

 Deer yards: Including identification, mapping, and harvesting so as to maintain suitable conditions for deer.

 RECREATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

 The Tribe shall perform the following no later than December, 2005.  Funding for these facilities shall be obtained through the grant process and volunteer assistance:

 1.  Develop and annually maintain hiking trails on Penobscot Bald mountain (T5R1) and from Moose River to Clear Pond Mountain and Indian Pond (Lowelltown).

 2.  Establish and maintain a hiking trail from Wabanaki Mall to the Pleasant Point Reservation.

 3.  Construct boat landings, parking facilities, and handicapped fishing facilities at:

a.  Tomah Stream

b.  Peter Dana Point

c.  Kennebasis Road

4.  Construct boat landings at:

a.  Duncan Pond

b.  Pleasant Point

5.  Reconstruct the Pit campground in Indian Township.

 

RESERVE AREAS

There are two classification of land which have timber harvesting restricted:

Inaccessible: Are lands which may not have commercial timber harvesting during this planning period.  Harvesting may occur in these lands only for salvage, wilflife habitat, or insect and disease control, and only upon documented aproval by the Natural Resource committee and the appropriate Tribal Council.  These lands may have constraints on the type of forest activities which may occur in them. Inaccessible lands may have harvesting in the future.  Some of these lands may be inoperable due to soils, slope, or site.

 Reserved: Are lands which may not have any commercial timber harvest during this planning period or in the future.  These lands are protected for cultural, recreation, wildlife, or aesthetic purposes.