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Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project Proposed Action
THE SCOPING COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS PROJECT HAS ENDED. A NEW STORY MAP TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.
Overview
Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project Locator Map
The Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) has developed a proposal for a wide variety of management activities, collectively called the Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project (Telephone Gap IRP). Integrated Resource Projects are one of the main strategies used by the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) to achieve the goals, objectives and desired future conditions provided by the 2006 GMNF Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). They consist of the planning, implementation and monitoring of multiple resource project activities that are within the same geographical location.
Telephone Gap IRP is located on the Rochester and Middlebury Ranger Districts in the towns of Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield, Pittsford, and Stockbridge. The project area encompasses approximately 72,253 acres, 45% of which is National Forest System (NFS) land. The Forest Service has been gathering data and working with individuals, organizations, towns and federal and state agencies since 2019 to develop potential management activities designed to implement the Forest Plan, and work toward desired future conditions at the site-specific level, within the Telephone Gap IRP area. Six public meetings and four field trips were held to gather input and ideas regarding the future management of this area. The culmination of this effort is the Telephone Gap IRP proposed action, which you can explore below. This storymap provides an overview of the wide variety of activities proposed for this area. To help you review these activities, we have divided the proposed action into “resource” sections. Each resource section includes a summary of proposed activities. For further details on the proposed action, please refer to the Notice of Proposed Action and Opportunity to Comment document, which can be found at the Telephone Gap IRP webpage . The Forest Service invites public input on the Telephone Gap IRP proposed action during a 45-day comment period from January 27 to March 13, 2023. Information on how to submit comments is located near the bottom of this story map (or click the "How to Provide Comments" heading near the top of the story to navigate directly there)
Forest Habitat & Timber
Diversity of forest habitats is critical to the many wildlife species found across the project area. An analysis of habitats in the project area identified concerns with habitat diversity, including:
- The lack of regenerating age class (0-9 years old) across all habitats
- Under-representation of mixedwood and softwood habitat
- Limited aspen and paper birch habitat
- Very limited oak habitat
Timber harvesting is an important tool used to achieve Forest Plan objectives for creating and maintaining healthy, productive, diverse forests, and providing high-quality sawtimber and other timber products on a sustainable basis. The proposal includes timber harvest treatments on approximately 11,801 acres using a variety of silvicultural methods, including:
- Even-aged systems (clearcutting and shelterwood)
- Two-aged systems (clearcutting and shelterwood with reserves)
- Uneven-aged systems (individual tree selection and group selection)
- Intermediate harvest (thinning and improvement cut)
Some types of timber harvest proposed for the Telephone Gap IRP. Clockwise from the upper left: clearcut, shelterwood with reserves, thinning, and group selection.
The proposal also includes a variety of post-harvest, other forest habitat, and insect-infestation treatments
Proposed timber harvests and additional treatments are designed to address resource concerns identified by forest inventory, including:
- More than 5,000 acres of timber stands in the project area are overstocked with trees and are experiencing reduced growth and increased density-caused mortality.
- Over half (approximately 57 percent) of the suitable timber lands in the Telephone Gap project area are comprised of tree species that will exhibit increased signs of mortality or loss of merchantable value from disease or insects between now and the next time this landscape is likely to be considered for management.
- Low quality timber stands, including trees with poor form, declining vigor, insect, disease or physical damage, and in particular beech bark disease. Beech bark disease, for which there is no cure, involves an interaction between an introduced insect and a fungus that slowly kills the tree. Stands of beech often succumb to the disease before reaching maturity, resulting in a flush of new beech re-sprout growth destined for the same fate. Forest management focuses on reducing the density of beech in the forest while reserving individual beech trees that appear to be resistant or provide habitat for wildlife. Beech doesn’t compete well in full sunlight, so management involves creating openings where full sunlight reaches the ground, favoring other species such as yellow birch.
A disease-resistant American beech (right) next to a beech badly infected by beech bark disease (left)
- Emerald ash borer (EAB) is present in multiple locations in Vermont including Rutland County. Although not known to be present in the Telephone Gap project area, a portion of the area is delineated as an infested area by the State of Vermont. EAB is likely to be confirmed within the Telephone Gap IRP project area in the next few years and once established will cause significant mortality in both white and black ash. White ash mortality when it occurs in proximity to roads and trailheads is likely to increase risks to visitors and employees accessing the Forest. Black ash mortality could cause rapid alteration to hydrology and the rapid deterioration to two occurrences of state significant communities where black ash is found.
The effects of emerald ash borer (EAB) on ash trees. From left: a healthy black ash in a black ash swamp at Telephone Gap; an emerald ash borer; a dead black ash tree with EAB tunnels under the bark.
Timber harvest access within the project area would not require construction of new permanent roads. Existing Operation Maintenance Level (OML) 1 and 2 roads would be used for timber access and maintained to a level sufficient for timber hauling. Following their use for timber hauling, OML 1 roads would be closed to public use and the following activities would occur:
- Remove drainage structures in appropriate locations.
- Block roads with barriers to prohibit motorized vehicle access.
- Perform basic custodial maintenance to keep damage to adjacent resources to an acceptable level.
In addition, approximately 9.3 miles and 3.3 miles of temporary road construction is proposed on National Forest System (NFS) and non-NFS lands, respectively, for a total of 12.6 miles to access timber harvest areas. Temporary roads are minimum-standard roads designed for short-term use. The majority of temporary roads would follow the template of existing system trails and non-system (unclassified) woods roads or trails. Only 0.4 mile (0.3 mile on NFS lands and 0.1 mile on non-NFS lands) of temporary road construction would be in a location where no non-system woods roads or trails exist. All proposed temporary road construction on non-NFS lands would depend on landowner contact and permission.
For a description of the purpose and need for forest habitat diversity and timber management, and each timber harvest method, please review the Notice of Proposed Action and Opportunity to Comment document at the Telephone Gap IRP Webpage . You can explore the timber and vegetation management proposed actions using the dashboard below. Note the following tips:
- You can filter the results shown in the dashboard by clicking on parts of the bar chart or pie chart to see activities of interest, or by zooming into a particular area of the map and clicking on a treatment stand, which results in a pop-up box with specific stand information.
- You can toggle on/off layers and navigate to home using the icons within the upper right corner of the map.
- You can zoom in and out on the map using either the scroll wheel on your mouse, or the plus/minus icons within the lower right corner of the map.
Telephone Gap IRP Vegetation Management Dashboard
Recreation & Visual Quality
Recreation resources within the Telephone Gap project area include trails, developed recreation sites (such as shelters and trailheads), dispersed recreation activities, and recreation special uses.
Recreation opportunities within Telephone Gap IRP
Currently, there are limited opportunities for specific trail uses such as mountain biking. At the same time, the challenges involved in maintaining existing trails and facilities to desired standards could lead to increases in health and safety risks and potential damage to resources such as soil, water, and fisheries.
Trail activities proposed in the project area include new trail construction, trail relocations, changes in managed trail use, adding existing trails on the South Pond acquisition to the Forest Service system, and trail decommission.
One of the most popular public activities on the Green Mountain National Forest is viewing scenery provided by established vistas. Management activities are needed to provide new vistas and maintain existing vistas especially along the Appalachian Trail/Long Trail.
The Vermont Huts Association has applied to construct and operate a hut/cabin providing year-round use north of South Pond on the pending South Pond acquisition. The hut would be managed under a special use permit and made available for public use by reservation. The Vermont Huts Association would be responsible for operation and maintenance. The permit would include use of an existing access road by snowmobile for operations including maintenance during the winter, and by wheeled vehicles in non-snow conditions.
For a description of the purpose and need for recreation and visual quality, please review the Notice of Proposed Action and Opportunity to Comment document at the Telephone Gap IRP webpage . Explore the map below to view all recreation and scenery management proposed activities. Note the following tips:
- Click on the buttons on the right side of the map to see a few highlighted actions. Unclick all buttons to view all proposed actions again.
- Click on a proposed activity in the map to see additional information.
- Use the plus/minus and home icons within the lower right corner of the map to zoom in and out on the map and to reset to the original size.
Soils, Wetlands & Transportation
Some existing unclassified roads in the project area are ongoing sources of erosion and sedimentation and alter the natural hydrologic regime by facilitating increased water runoff. Erosion stabilization is proposed on up to approximately 6.1 miles of existing unclassified roads throughout the project area using tracked equipment, except where hand-crews are needed due to access constraints. Soil improvement activities include installing water bars and/or check dams along the roads where needed and seeding and mulching following all soil disturbing activity associated with equipment where necessary.
A small dam removal is proposed to restore natural stream and wetland ecological processes north of Forest System Road 232 in Chittenden.
The proposal includes the replacement of two existing culverts on Forest System Road 57 at mile posts 4.65 and 5.25 with structures, such as a bottomless arch culvert or bridge, to allow aquatic organism passage and flood resiliency. The proposal also includes realigning approximately 500 feet of Forest System Road 394. The road embankment at this location has started to fail due to erosion caused by an adjacent stream. Realigning the road would allow the embankment to be stabilized and the road to be placed at a more sustainable location.
Bottomless arch culvert
Once the pending transfer of the South Pond acquisition is complete, two existing road sections would be added to the National Forest Road System as one 2.31-mile long OML 2 road. This road would be designated for administrative use only and gates would be installed to control access. Upgrades would be required to meet Forest Service system road standards. All work would be completed within the existing road prism. A 10-vehicle gravel surface parking area is proposed at the end of Rockwell Road near the gate along the National Forest boundary.
A parking area with 3-vehicle capacity is also proposed on Forest road 394 (Townsend Brook Road) at mile post 1.8.
The proposal also includes a special use permit authorizing the use of NFS land on 83 acres for a maple tapping operation on the south end of Blue Ridge Mountain.
For a description of the purpose and need for the soil, wetlands, and transportation proposed activities, please review the Notice of Proposed Action and Opportunity to Comment document at the Telephone Gap IRP webpage . Use the map below to view soil, wetlands and transportation proposed actions within Telephone Gap project area. Note the following tips:
- Use the plus/minus and home icons within the lower right corner of the map to zoom in and out on the map and to reset to the original size.
- Click on a proposed activity in the map to see additional information.
Telephone Gap IRP Soils, Wetlands, Transportation, and Special Uses Proposed Activities
How to Provide Comments
The Forest Service invites public input on the Telephone Gap IRP proposed action during a 45-day comment period from January 27 to March 13, 2023. A public meeting is planned for early February 2023 to answer questions specific to the proposed action. The date, time and location of the meeting is included in the Telephone Gap IRP Notice of Proposed Action and Opportunity to Comment cover letter. Detailed information regarding the public meeting and how to submit written comments is also available on the Telephone Gap IRP webpage .
Your comments help us identify issues related to the proposal, determine whether any alternatives need to be considered, focus our effects analysis on resources of concern, and document the results in an environmental assessment as the basis for how to implement the project. Comments are most useful when they are specific, descriptive, locatable, and indicate concern associated with resource effects from all or part of the proposed action.
Comments must be submitted by March 13, 2023. The Telephone Gap IRP is subject to the project level pre-decisional administrative review (objection) process found at 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B. This regulation states that in order to be eligible to submit an objection, you need to provide timely specific written comments during any period designated for public comment.
Written comments can be submitted in one of the following ways:
- Forest Service online comment system: Available at the Telephone Gap Comment Page
- Mail: USDA Forest Service, 99 Ranger Road, Rochester, VT 05767, submitted in c/o Christopher Mattrick, District Ranger
- Fax: (802)-767-4777 ATTN: Telephone Gap IRP, submitted in c/o Christopher Mattrick, District Ranger
- Hand Delivered: Written comments can be delivered to the Rochester Ranger Station at 99 Ranger Road, Rochester, VT 05767 during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)
Next Steps
Comments received by March 13, 2023, will be considered by Forest Service staff to inform the potential development of alternatives and help focus the analysis of effects for resources of concern from the Telephone Gap IRP proposed action, according to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Forest Service resource specialists will then conduct the effects analysis to be disclosed in a preliminary environmental assessment. There will be an opportunity for public comment on the preliminary environmental assessment during a 30-day period anticipated to begin in June 2023. Comments received will be used to determine any possible changes to the analysis. A final environmental assessment and draft decision notice can then be released for public review triggering a 45-day objection period. Any objections received must be addressed before a final decision can be made.
The timing for the final project decision will depend on whether any objections are received but is anticipated to be no later than the end of 2023. Implementation of activities may begin after the final decision notice is signed by the responsible official. You can stay up to date with this planning effort and review relevant background materials by visiting the Telephone Gap IRP webpage .
Deer Leap, Green Mountain National Forest
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