Finger Lakes National Forest Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 1 Decision Memorandum Butternut Seed Orchard Project Decision Memo USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, Finger Lakes National Forest Hector Ranger District Town of Hector, Schuyler County, New York Information Contact: William Brendecke Natural Resources Specialist Hector Ranger District (607) 546-4470 ext.311 Responsible Official: Jodie Vanselow District Ranger Hector Ranger District (607) 546-4470 ext. 314 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Finger Lakes National Forest
Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 1
Decision Memorandum
Butternut Seed Orchard Project Decision Memo
USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, Finger Lakes National Forest
Hector Ranger District
Town of Hector, Schuyler County, New York
Information Contact:
William Brendecke
Natural Resources Specialist
Hector Ranger District
(607) 546-4470 ext.311
Responsible Official:
Jodie Vanselow
District Ranger
Hector Ranger District
(607) 546-4470 ext. 314
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs
and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint
of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten
Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)
720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Finger Lakes National Forest
Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 2
I. SUMMARY
As District Ranger for the Hector Ranger District of the Finger Lakes National Forest
(FLNF), I am authorizing the implementation of the planting of about 100 black walnut
(Juglans nigra) seedlings grafted with butternut (Juglans cinerea) scions that show resistance
to butternut canker and the construction of fencing to protect the seedlings in order to
establish a Butternut Seed Orchard on about 1.5 acres of land managed by the USDA Forest
Service. The project is located on the National Forest System (NFS) land in the Town of
Hector, Schuyler County, New York on the Hector Ranger District of the FLNF (see
Appendix A). The orchard would be located within Compartment 8, Stand 102. This area is
called “Cook Grassland for Wildlife” and is about 39 acres and is classified as a Grassland
for Wildlife; the proposed location is adjacent to Schuyler County Route 1 (Searsburg Road).
II. DECISION TO BE IMPLEMENTED
A. Background and Project Area
Butternut, also known as white walnut, is a native hardwood related to black walnut and is an
important tree to natural ecological communities in New York State. The nuts are preferred food
for squirrels and other wildlife. Butternut nuts and sugar sap were collected and eaten by Native
Americans and early settlers, and the tree was believed to possess medicinal properties. Early
settlers valued the tree because the wood was easy to work with. Butternut trees have been dying
on National Forest Service land and in New York State since the butternut canker disease
(Sirococcus calvigignenti-juglandacearum) was introduced into this country about 40 years ago.
The continued presence of butternut on the landscape is essential to the health and diversity of
New York State’s forests. Other National Forests in the Eastern Region, along with state entities,
have been successful in creating butternut seed orchards composed of grafted seedlings of
butternut canker resistant individuals.
The grafted seedlings we wish to plant come from New York trees that were selected because
they exhibit some resistance to the butternut canker which is killing most butternut trees in the
eastern United States. Scions cut from these trees in January of 2013 will be grafted onto black
walnut rootstock and will be grown in a Forest Service nursery in Wisconsin. After the initial
establishment phase in the Wisconsin nursery, grafted trees will be transferred to the orchard and
planted. It is hoped that, by establishing the orchard, these planted, resistant trees will pollinate
each other in the fenced orchard and produce seeds that can grow trees that are even more
resistant to the butternut canker. In time, these seeds and trees could be used to reintroduce
resistant trees to their native range in an effort to restore butternut back into the ecosystem of
New York.
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Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 3
The location of the planting site is within the Cook Grassland for Wildlife (FLNF Forest Plan
Management Area 1.2). The Cook Grassland for Wildlife area in Hector has a land use history of
former agricultural use. During the Great Depression, much of the land surrounding Cook
Grassland for Wildlife was abandoned and turned over to the government under the Resettlement
Administration Act. Cook Grassland for Wildlife has been maintained by the FLNF as a
grassland through periodic mowing and prescribed fire since 2002 when the FLNF acquired the
property. The grassland is adjacent to private land along the South, East, and West. The majority
of this land has recently been in or is maintained in agricultural use. The area to the North is a
mixed deciduous forest with a Hemlock gorge running West – East through the forest.
B. Purpose and Need
Butternut is a relatively short lived tree species that is at risk of being functionally extirpated
from New York’s forest by butternut canker. Retaining butternut as a component of our forests is
important because it provides food for wildlife, increases species diversity and contributes to
ecosystem resiliency. Right now, we have the opportunity to restore butternuts to the landscape;
this opportunity is fleeting, however, because many of the resistant butternuts are already
entering a natural phase of decline and conditions are not conducive to natural regeneration. As
the trees continue to age, it will become increasingly difficult to identify and collect scions from
vigorous, canker resistant individuals. The Butternut Seed Orchard will be established as part of
a multi-state effort to reintroduce butternuts to the landscape and will provide vital seed for
restoration efforts. We will be partnering with New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation the New York Nut Growers Association and private landowners to maximize the
genetic diversity planted in the seed orchard.
Effort has already been exerted to identify true butternuts that display canker resistance; Forest
Service employees have identified butternuts displaying canker resistance, collected branches,
and sent the branches for genetic testing at Notre Dame. If this project were not implemented, we
would fail to capture the benefit from this previous input of time and resources. Furthermore,
failure to implement this decision would place the FLNF and New York State at a significant
disadvantage for retaining butternut as a component of the natural forest community because
there would not be a locally available seed source for canker resistant butternuts.
Cook Grassland for Wildlife was selected as the location for the butternut plantation because it is
within the historical range of the butternut and Schuyler County Soil Surveys indicate that the
soil conditions are favorable for the establishment range of a butternut seed orchard. The Cook
Grassland for Wildlife is also located adjacent to County Route 1 which means it is readily
accessible for monitoring, maintenance, and education.
Establishing a butternut orchard supports Forest Plan Goals 2, 6, and 9. Creation of a butternut
seed orchard will restore butternut to the FLNF ecosystem, which will “restore quality, amount,
and distribution of habitats to produce viable and sustainable populations of native and desirable
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Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 4
non-native plants and animals” (Goal 2). It will also “protect rare or outstanding biological [and]
ecological areas” on the FLNF (Goal 6). Finally, it will “demonstrate innovative, ecologically
sound management practices that can be applied to other lands” (Goal 9) and “provide
opportunities for public education on Forest Service management practices” (Goal 9 Objective
1).
Furthermore, the creation of a butternut seed orchard supports Forest Plan Standard 2.3.10
Standard 5 and Forest Plan Guideline 2.3.8 “Rare and Unique Biological Features” Guideline 1.
The Butternut Seed Orchard will result in the “reintroduction of a native plant species” where
local source of seed has been eliminated and will occur in conjunction with cooperation from
research and breeding agencies in the Forest Service (Standard 5). The Butternut Seed Orchard
will also be a silvicultural approach to managing a non-native pest (Guideline 1).
Butternut canker is unique because its destruction of butternut is not total; some butternuts have
shown resistance and ability to recover from the canker. Unlike with other trees afflicted with
non-native forest pests, there is reason to hope that butternuts can be reintroduced to the forest in
a cost effective and sustainable fashion. The time frame for this unique opportunity, however, is
limited, as butternut is a short-lived, early successional species that is declining in the forest
setting as land use patterns change. If we fail to act now, our opportunity to restore butternut to
the Finger Lakes National Forest will be severely diminished.
C. Description of Decision
My decision is to allow the planting of 100 black walnut seedlings grafted with twigs from about
30 different butternuts that appear to be resistant to butternut canker on roughly 1 ½ acres in a
portion of the Cook Grassland for Wildlife which is roughly 39 acres. Implementation is
expected beginning in May of 2013.
Before outplanting nursery stock, a 1.5 acre fence will be constructed. Prior to planting the ~100
planting locations will be identified within the 1.5 acre fence on a ~20ft by ~20ft spacing. On an
as needed basis the interior and a zone around the fence will be mowed to ensure adequate
growing conditions for the butternut-grafted black walnut seedlings. After planting mulch mats
may be used to inhibit encroaching vegetation upon the planted seedlings.
The fence around the trees will be maintained long enough to keep deer from browsing on the
tops or rubbing the young bark off. My hope is that these trees will cross pollinate and produce
seeds which will produce trees even more resistant to butternut canker. The site may be
maintained indefinitely and may be part of a multi-state/agency and Forest Service cooperative
effort.
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Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 5
This decision includes implementation of mitigation measures and monitoring requirements
identified in Appendix A of this Decision Memo. This decision is based upon an environmental
analysis conducted by Forest Service personnel. This information is located in the project
planning record located at the Hector Ranger District office.
III. REASONS FOR CATEGORICALLY EXCLUDING THE DECISION
Decisions may be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment
(EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS) when they are within one of the categories of
actions found at 36 CFR 220.6 (d) or (e), and there are no extraordinary circumstances related to
the decision that may result in a significant individual or cumulative environmental effect.
A. Category of Exclusion
Based upon the environmental analysis included in the project planning record and on experience
with similar activities on the FLNF, I have concluded that this decision can be appropriately
categorically excluded from further analysis and documentation in an EA or EIS. I have
determined that the selected action is a routine activity within the following category of
exclusion found at 36 CFR 220.6 (e) (5): “Regeneration of an area to native tree species,
including site preparation that does not involve the use of herbicides, or result in vegetation type
conversion. Examples include but are not limited to … Planting seedlings of superior worth in a
progeny test site to evaluate genetic worth.”
B. Relationship to Extraordinary Circumstances
Resource conditions that should be considered in determining whether extraordinary
circumstances related to the proposed action warrant further analysis and documentation in an
EA or EIS may be found at 36 CFR 220.6(b)(1). The degree of any potential effect from the
proposed action associated with these resource conditions determines whether extraordinary
conditions exist. The mere presence of one or more of these resource conditions does not
preclude use of a categorical exclusion.
I have considered the potential effects from the project associated with the resource conditions
listed at 36 CFR 220.6(b)(1), and conclude that there are no extraordinary circumstances related
to the decision that may result in a significant individual or cumulative effect on the quality of
the human environment. My conclusion is based on information presented in this document and
the entirety of the project planning record. A summary of the project’s potential effects on each
resource condition is as follows.
1. Federally Listed Threatened or Endangered Species or Designated Critical Habitat, Species
Proposed for Federal Listing or Proposed Critical Habitat, or Forest Service Sensitive
Species. None of the above species or conditions are present at the project location.
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2. Floodplains, Wetlands, or Municipal Watersheds The project does not incur degradation to
any floodplains, wetlands or municipal watersheds.
3. Congressionally Designated Areas, such as Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, or National
Recreation Areas
Wilderness:
There is no designated Wilderness on the FLNF.
Wilderness Study Areas:
There are no congressionally designated Wilderness Study Areas on the FLNF.
National Recreation Areas:
There are no National Recreation Areas on the FLNF
4. Inventoried Roadless Areas or Potential Wilderness Areas
There are no inventoried Roadless areas on the FLNF
5. Existing and Candidate Research Natural Areas
There are no existing or candidate Research Natural Areas (Forest Plan, pp 60-62) within or
directly adjacent to the project area. This project, with effects limited to the immediate area
of activity, will have no effects associated with any existing or candidate Research Natural
Area resource.
6. American Indian and Alaska Native Religious or Cultural Sites
See Item 7 below.
7. Archeological Sites, or Historical Properties or Areas
There is a historic archeological site in the vicinity, but by design there will no effect to or
cultural resources that occur within the project boundary. This project as described will have
no effect to this resource.
C. Other Resources
In addition to resource conditions that could lead to extraordinary circumstances, I have also
considered the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects to other resources such as soil, water,
fisheries, visuals, recreation, and vegetation. The project is not expected to result in any adverse
effects associated with these resources, particularly all applicable Forest Plan standards and
guidelines will be implemented. (Communication with Resource Specialists at Small Projects
Day 11/8/2011)
IV. Public Involvement
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Decision Memo- Butternut Seed Orchard Page 7
This project was listed in the quarterly Finger Lakes National Forest Schedule of Proposed
Actions (SOPA) beginning in January 2012 and will remain in the SOPA until the project is
authorized for implementation.
Public involvement included sending proposed action to the Town of Hector, New York
Department of Conservation (NYDEC) and John and Sue Gregoire. NYDEC and John Gregoire
both supported the project. Telephone and email communication has occurred to the New York
Nut Growers association in regards to the project. All contacted parties and individuals have
given support of the project. In addition, legal notice was posted in the Ithaca Journal on July
19th
, 2012.
In addition, there has been close communication with the Forest Service Regional 9 Regional
Geneticist, Paul Berrang, since the conception of this project; he has provided all aspects of
technical assistance. Carrie Sweeney, Nursery Manager at Oconto Seed Orchard in White Lake,
WI has also been involved with the planning and scheduling of this project
No external issues have been identified. This project was also internally reviewed by Forest
Service Staff and no concerns have been raised or additional input requiring change to the
original proposal list in SOPA.
V. FINDING REQUIRED BY OR RLEATED TO OTHER LAWS AND REGULATIONS
My decision will comply with all applicable laws and regulations. I have summarized some
pertinent laws and regulations in this section.
National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires public involvement and consideration
of environmental effects. The entirety of documentation for this decision supports compliance