WATERSHED, SOIL, AND AIR PROJECT PROPOSAL USDA Forest Service, Technology & Development Program
Project Name or Title:	Develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Use of Explosives for Stream Crossing/Drainage Restoration at Remote Sites, AKA Use of Explosives to Restore AOP, Turn Roads into Trails, Remove At Risk Drainage Structures
Submitted by (your name):	Forest Cole (Region 10 Forest Supervisor) John Pickens (Region 10 Blaster/Examiner) Robert Miller (Tongass Lead Blaster)
Unit name and address:	R-10, Tongass NF, 204 Siginaka Way, Sitka AK 99835
Telephone:	(907) 747-4208
IBM or Internet Address:	rjmiller02@fs.fed.us
Date:	February 3, 2008
OVERALL OBJECTIVES/PROBLEM STATEMENT (Describe the problem, how the work is currently being done, and why improvement is needed.)
The National Forests have thousands of miles of system and non-system roads. An unknown number of the roads are at risk of having, or already have culverts and other drainage structures fail causing widespread damage to the nation’s watersheds and fisheries. Many are un-accessible to traditional maintenance equipment without causing considerable ecologic/environmental damage due to numerous factors: Overgrowth, landslides, inside designated roadless areas, and even wilderness areas. Using traditional methods requires disturbing large areas of ground that become sources of sedimentation and seed beds for invasive species. Often these failing structures impede aquatic organism passage to historical and important spawning grounds. The Clean Water Act states that blockage of “Fish Passage” is inconsistent with best management practices (Section 404 (f) of the Clean Water Act). To meet the requirements of the “Clean Water Act” many Forest Plans are being revised to direct managers to “maintain, improve, and restore the opportunities for fish migration.” Blocked and failing structures may also impact streams by causing erosion and sedimentation. Areas where aquatic organism passage isn’t an issue there are many forest roads that are no longer needed, no longer get adequate maintenance and need to be closed and structures removed or converted to trails. Shrinking budgets and the high cost of mechanized equipment require efficient and cost effective alternatives for closing roads to stay within current funding levels. The Sitka Ranger District on the Tongass National Forest and the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) are working together to lead the effort addressing this problem by using explosives to improve fish habitat and close roads that are no longer needed. Three years of work in this field and we realize the need to develop standard operating procedures and best management practices that will benefit all land management agencies. What began as a district project has the potential to help all National Forests who are facing similar issues.
PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT WORK (Describe your concept of the end product, i.e., a new equipment design, a video production, a guide, etc.)
We propose that T&D capitalize on and share nationally a new method of removing blocked drainage structures that Region 10 in partnership with the State of Alaska and the University of Alaska and utilizing the expertise of the National Technology and Development programs explosives experts, have been using for the last three years with great success and acceptance of fisheries & wildlife biologists and hydrologists. Considerable work has already been completed; best management practices need to be developed. Work needs to be done to compile and analyze data and have that information transferred to other units. Testing is required to determine if any chemical residue is left on site from an explosive blast and to what effect residue if any may have. Work would take place in the field to refine best management practices in order to meet national needs and identify actual cost benefits. The National T&D program provides direction and technical expertise for the Forest Service blasting program; the proposed project for the Technology and Development Program would be technology transfer via a Tech Tip or CD with Flash Media to share these best management practices. This problem is national in scope and many forests are currently addressing these issues or will be doing so in the future. The Tongass National Forest is not looking for assistance or a grant to complete forest work. Rather, the Tongass National Forest is developing a better, safer, and more cost effective way of accomplishing work that other units will need to be addressing. The Sitka Ranger District will commit up to $4500 towards this technology transfer project to cover forest costs, expenses and involvement. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) is completing a research project on the physical effects of blasting and would likely coordinate their findings and supplying helicopter time to the project. ADNR and the University of Alaska are researching pressure waves in water and substrate caused by use of explosives. By developing best management practices which include loading formulas and blast plans, a structure can be removed with explosives in a fraction of a second.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS (Describe how this project will improve safety, reduce cost, save time, increase efficiency, provide improved resource management, or increase customer satisfaction.) This project has the potential to benefit National Fish & Wildlife, Wilderness, WSA, Engineering programs. SAVINGS: This practice and the development of BMPs have potential benefits in the millions of dollars. These budget benefits are true benefits because money saved removing a culvert at a remote site inaccessible to normal maintenance/construction equipment without virtually reopening a closed or overgrown roadway, would leave money in the budget for other projects. Through a cost analysis we have determined in R10 that mobilizing heavy equipment in remote areas to remove a typical log stringer bridge or metal culvert would cost twice as much as using explosives, we believe this is typical of many locations in R6, R4, R1 and many other locations nationally. SAFETY: The common belief is that the use of explosives is dangerous and if unmanaged it is, but based on accident records the Forest Service Explosives Program is actually one of our safest programs when properly administered and is underutilized. Through technology transfer we have the ability to demonstrate the very safe use and set standards for use; as well as a cost effective method for using explosives for improving aquatic organism passage and removing unwanted and failing road structures. STRATEGIC PLAN: Explosive use is less detrimental to the environment since heavy equipment may first have to rebuild the road to access structures. Rebuilding the road may cause additional resource damage and attract undesirable motorized use in some areas. The use of explosives is actually “Green” and very light on the land. The disturbed areas caused by using equipment to access these sites are vulnerable to the spread of invasive species and sediment transfer reducing water quality. Forest Service and ADNR observations show reduced impact on Aquatic life and Water Quality: · Explosive blast has little impact on aquatic organisms in the immediate area. · Far less silting of waterways than using an excavator causes · Water in the stream channel typically cleared within one hour of the blast. o Removing a structure with heavy equipment would require the machinery to be on site for an extended period and it may even have to operate in the actual streambed which would have a detrimental effect on the aquatic environment. o Heavy equipment has an increased chance for oil and diesel contamination, equipment breakdowns or accidents all of which could release containments into the environment. · Explosive use is very short duration and the impact to wildlife been found to be negligible. o Heavy equipment can potentially impact to wildlife due to extended presence and associated disturbance EFFECTIVENESS: This project has very effective application opportunities nationwide in the Forest Service as well as the BLM and many state organizations. Based on the work in R10 and the national workload for dealing with remote, inaccessible, at risk stream and drainage structures the productivity potential is very high. As the Forest Service struggles to accomplish real “on the ground work” with a shrinking workforce and limited budgets the development of best management practices for aquatic organism passage through the use of explosives offers a safe, efficient, and extremely cost effective method. This can also be adapted for a multitude of other resource related projects such as road closures, roads to trails, dam removal, and wildlife habitat improvement. SCOPE: This project will provide a tool that will have value nationally for the Forest Service, the BLM as well as potentially internationally.