3.10.1 Regulatory Framework

3.10.1.1 Modoc National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan

The Modoc National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)(USFS 1991) provides direction for implementing the Forest’s management practices and activities (see Section 1.7). The LRMP management direction that is specifically applicable to this Recreation analysis, and potentially relevant to the proposed Project, includes the Recreation, Firewood, Wilderness, Lands, and Special Interest Areas and National Natural Landmarks resource guidance provided in the Forest Standards and Guidelines, Management Prescriptions, and Management Area Direction sections of the LRMP. The LRMP notes that Forest recreation is divided into two categories: developed and dispersed. Developed recreation sites are managed by the USFS or the private sector, and amount to less than 20 percent of the total recreation use in the Modoc National Forest. Developed recreation in the Forest is lower than most other forests in the region because of less private development and the popularity of dispersed activities such as hunting and fishing. Camping is the major developed recreation activity, representing more than eighty percent of the developed use. The camping area at Medicine Lake is one of the largest in the Modoc National Forest. By the year 2010, overall developed recreation use is projected to rise from the current fifty percent of practical capacity to eighty percent. At this level, use at many popular campgrounds will exceed capacity. Use at Medicine Lake is expected to increase at a faster rate because of recent road improvements, unique recreation opportunities, and displaced use from the Shasta - Trinity National Forest. Other managed sites at Medicine Lake are limited to three privately-owned facilities. Dispersed recreation constitutes more than 80 percent of the recreational use of the Modoc National Forest. Big game hunting and driving for pleasure are the major dispersed recreation activities. For the 1996 Deer Season, 3000 general methods tags (of 4521 applicants), and 546 archery season tags (of 1000 available) were issued for Deer Hunting Zone X-1 (see Figure 3.10.1). Medicine Lake is roughly in the center of Zone X-1, which includes portions of Siskiyou, Modoc, Shasta and Lassen Counties. Additional information regarding Zone X-1 is summarized in Table 3.10.2, which contains information about the 1994 Deer Season; that year, 3394 total deer tags were issued. Visitors who enjoy “getting away from it all” have ample opportunity to do so. Primitive roads access vast areas where it is possible to experience nature for days without seeing other humans. However, one may see bald eagles, osprey and other more common species of wildlife. The Forest has no designated wild and scenic rivers. For recreational opportunities and experiences in the Modoc National Forest, the USFS manages its lands using the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) classification system. The ROS provides a framework for defining the types of outdoor recreation opportunities the public might desire and identifies that portion of the spectrum a given forest area might be able to provide. The ROS allocation provide overall guidance to manage specific projects or areas in a fashion that is compatible with the allocation assigned to the overall area. Typically, the allocations relate to allowances for, or prohibitions on, vehicle travel, degree of resource modifications, and intensity of recreation use. The allocations are defined below. Figure 3.10.2 illustrates the ROS classification in the vicinity of the proposed project facilities: Semi-Primitive Motorized: The area is 0.5 miles from roads or trails with motorized use and generally 2,500 to 5,000 acres. Roads and motorized use of roads and trails is evident. It is characterized by a predominantly natural or natural-appearing environment. Concentration of users is low to moderate, but there is often evidence of other users. On-site controls and restriction may be present, but are subtle. Wildlife species present are mid-range between those tolerant of human presence and those not. Typical activities include OHV touring, snowmobiling, hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, hunting, and fishing. No Semi-Primitive Motorized areas are located in the Medicine Lake basin.

Table 3.10.2: 1994 Deer Habitat and Harvest

Habitat and Harvest Criteria	Zone X1	California
Percent of Zone that is Deer Range	98	62
Square Miles of Deer Range	2,844	98,434
Square Miles of Game Refuge in Zone	56	1,100
Square Miles of Open Habitat	1,558	43,673
Square Miles of Private Habitat	1,086	44,095
Percent of Zone that is Potentially Huntable	93	89
Total Deer Tags Issued	3,394	211,020
Tags Issued Per Square Mile of Potentially Huntable Range	1.28	2.4
Deer Population Estimate	13,500	781,500
Estimate of Number of Deer Per Square Mile	4.75	7.94
Estimate of Doe Harvest	---	761
Square Miles Per Doe Harvested	---	115.33
Buck Harvest	647	47,256
Bucks Harvested Per Square Mile	0.23	0.48
Buck Ratio	12	---
Source: CDFG, Tracks, an annual publication by CDFG, 1995. Percent of Zone that is in Deer Range is an approximation for the zone. Developed areas would detract from these estimates. Square Miles of Deer Range is estimated for each zone. About 98,400 square miles of California (roughly 62%) can be considered deer habitat. Square Miles of Game Refuge represents State Game Refuges created decades ago specifically to protect deer populations. Square Miles of Open Habitat represents public land that is deer range and generally open to hunting, particularly USFS and BLM-administered lands. Hunters should always check for local closure of public lands to hunting. Square Miles of Private Habitat represents areas in deer range that are privately owned. The areas are considered potentially huntable although CDFG does not have specific knowledge about whether the private landowners allow hunting. Percent of Zone that is Potentially Huntable represents the cumulative proportion of private and open habitat within the zone. Total Deer Tags Issued represents all types of deer tags issued for the area comprising the zone using 1994 data. Deer Population Estimate is estimated for each zone based on 1994 data. Estimated Deer per Square Mile is the estimated deer population divided by square miles of deer habitat in the zone using 1994 estimates. Estimated Doe Harvest represents the estimated harvest of does taken in antlerless hunts. Square Miles per Doe Harvested represents the average area encompassed for each doe harvested. Buck Harvest represents the cumulative number of bucks harvested for all hunts, provided that the zone of kill could be determined (1994 data). This harvest figure includes reported (tag return) as well as unreported estimates. Buck Harvested per Square Mile is the buck harvest divided by square miles of deer habitat in zone.

Roaded Natural: The area is ½-mile or less from roads and trails open to motorized use. It is characterized by a naturally appearing setting. Resource modifications and utilization practices are evident, but harmonized with the natural environment with moderate evidences of the sights and sounds of humans. Interaction between users may be low to moderate on trails away from roads, but moderate to high on roads. On-site user controls are noticeable but harmonize with the natural environment. Typical activities include but are not limited to hiking, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, power boating, snowmobiling, OHV touring, trailer camping, hunting and fishing. Most of the area in the Medicine Lake Management Area has a ROS allocation of Roaded Natural. Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized: The area is 0.5 miles from roads or trails with motorized use and generally exceeds 2,500 to 5,000 acres unless contiguous to primitive areas and wilderness. There is little evidence of roads and the area is closed to motorized travel. It is characterized by a predominantly natural or natural-appearing environment. Interaction among users is low, but there is often evidence of other users. On-site controls and restrictions are present, but are subtle. Large mammals which are not tolerant of humans may be present. Typical activities include hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, canoeing, hunting and fishing. Approximately 1,934 acres of Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized exists in the Medicine Lake Management Area. Primitive: The area is 3 miles or more from roads and trails with motorized use and 5,000 acres or greater. It is characterized by an essentially unmodified natural environment. Interaction between users is very low and evidence of other users is minimal. Motorized use within the area is not permitted. On-site controls are extremely limited with most regulation accomplished off-site. Typical activities include hiking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, and camping. No areas in the Modoc National Forest are categorized as Primitive.

3.10.1.2 Lava Beds National Monument General Management Plan

The proposed wellfield and power plant site are located approximately 10 miles south of the visitors center of the Lava Beds National Monument. The Lava Beds National Monument General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Management Plan)(National Park Service 1996) describes the existing conditions and analyzes plans for the management, use and development of the Lava Beds National Monument. The Management Plan provides for staffing, facilities, and boundary changes to provide for long-term resource protection, and facilities and programs to provide for essential visitor services.

3.10.1.3 Supplemented Geothermal Leasing Environmental Assessment Stipulations

The six geothermal leases comprising the proposed Participating Area were issued over the period 1981 through 1988 with special stipulations relevant to environmental resources within the lease areas (CA12370, CA12371, CA12372, CA13803, CA21933, and CA2500). Potentially relevant lease-specific stipulations are described in Section of this EIS/EIR. The environmental assessment that analyzed the impacts of leases that were granted prior to 1984 considered casual use geothermal exploration (USFS 1981). In 1984, an environmental assessment (EA) was prepared that supplemented the 1981 analysis and included exploration, development, and production phases of the geothermal program (USFS and BLM 1984). The leasing EA described the proposed action for that decision was to lease National Forest land for the development of geothermal resources within the Glass Mountain study area with standard lease conditions and special environmental lease stipulations intended to be applicable to all geothermal leases issued in the area. One of these special stipulations, Special Stipulation No. 1 — Protection of Surface Resources, appears to encompass much of the Project wellfield area (see Figure 3.10.3). That stipulation states: "The lessee shall not occupy or use the surface of the following described lands with the following exception: surface-disturbing activities will be permitted by the BLM with concurrence by the Forest Supervisor if the lessee can demonstrate that multiple-use management objectives for the critical resource of the area will be met. This stipulation applies to the recreation management area surrounding Medicine Lake ... This stipulation may allow activities in the... Recreational Management Areas... The stipulation, however, permits surface occupancy only where the lessee can demonstrate that land management objectives for the critical resource involved can be met. The stipulation is intended to allow as much exploration and development as possible without risking the critical values of the area."

3.10.2 Affected Environment

The Medicine Lake Management Area Standards and Guidelines direct that outdoor recreation use in the Medicine Lake basin be featured (see Section for discussion of Management Area Direction)(USFS 1991). The Medicine Lake Management Area has developed and dispersed recreational uses that require careful consideration during Project design.

3.10.2.1 Study Area

As defined by the LRMP, “A management area is a contiguous unit of land with similar topography, geology, and resource uses.” The Forest is divided into 22 management areas to enable land managers to implement the Forest Plan. The wellfield and power plant site are located within the Medicine Lake Management Area, which is managed by the Doublehead Ranger District, one of four Ranger Districts in the Forest. All of the Medicine Lake Management Area is within the Glass Mountain Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). The area for the recreational analysis of the Proposed Action includes the Medicine Lake Management Area and possible effects on the nearby Lava Beds National Monument.

3.10.2.2 Study Methods

The planning documents for the Modoc National Forest and Lava Beds National Monument, as well as other recreation-related information such as information regarding the Tri-Forest Snowmobile Trails, were reviewed and analyzed for information regarding existing and future recreational uses, particularly in the vicinity of the Proposed Action. The Proposed Action and the Project Alternatives were then compared to the recreational planning information for the area to determine the likelihood and potential severity of conflicts with recreational land uses.

3.10.2.3 Developed Recreation Areas

3.10.2.3.1 Medicine Lake Management Area

Developed recreational areas in the vicinity of the Project wellfield generally center on Medicine Lake. Typical developed recreational activities that occur in the vicinity of the Proposed Action include camping, fishing, picnicking, boating, swimming, and hiking. There are 4 developed campgrounds in the Project vicinity, all of which are located on the northern and western shore of Medicine Lake: Medicine Lake Campground (22 camp sites); A.H. Hogue Campground (24 camp sites); Hemlock Campground (19 camp sites); and Headquarters Campground (8 camp sites). An undeveloped, designated overflow camping area is located at Schonchin Springs, located just northwest of Medicine Lake. The operating season for the campgrounds is July through October. Although busy at certain times of the year (e.g., holiday weekends), these campgrounds are rarely full. In addition to the campgrounds around Medicine Lake, a public day-use picnic area, swimming area, and boat launching ramp are located on the eastern shore of the Lake. Trails are also present connecting the day use areas, campgrounds, Little Medicine Lake and the Medicine Lake Lava Flow. Day use facilities are generally open from late May or June to mid-October, depending on snow conditions, and are closed during the rest of the year. No hunting is permitted and other management controls are applied, such as limitations on dispersed camping. Additionally, on the lands surrounding Medicine Lake, motorized vehicle travel is prohibited off of existing roads and trails, but permitted on existing roads and trails except those designated as closed. The Medicine Lake Lava Flow and Glass Mountain Lava Flow are closed to motor vehicle travel. Other developed recreational facilities at Medicine Lake include three privately operated recreational facilities (under special use permit from the USFS) and about 100 recreation residences located on private lands adjacent to the lake. These facilities are generally accessible only during the late spring to late fall months, but can be occasionally accessed by over-snow methods in the winter when weather conditions allow. Paynes Springs, Bullseye Lake and Blanche Lake are located approximately 2 miles southeast of Medicine Lake and are also popular developed sites. Peak use at the Medicine Lake recreation area usually occurs during holiday periods such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends. The USFS does not plow roads to Medicine Lake during the winter season, which hinders winter access to the lake. However, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing occur around this vicinity during the winter season (see Section 3.10.2.3). The Medicine Lake recreational area had approximately 240,000 RVDs during fiscal year 1997 (Personal Communication — Mike Kegg, USFS, Modoc National Forest, Doublehead Ranger District; January 30, 1998). An estimated 40,000 visitors stay at the Medicine Lake campgrounds each year, and the use in this area has increased by 8-10 percent per year for the past 3 years. Although weather conditions may permit a longer operating season, the majority of users visit the recreation area between Memorial Day (in late May) and Labor Day (in early September). During the months of July and August 1996, the campgrounds were observed to operate at an average 65 percent occupancy rate during the week (Monday through Thursday). On weekends and during summer holiday periods, the campgrounds generally operated at capacity. During September, campground use generally dropped by one-third. During the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 1996, tent camping accounted for approximately 60 percent of camping use in the recreation area, with the remainder using recreational vehicles. Approximately 35 percent of all the campers had boats used on the lake, and about 15 percent of the campers brought along bicycles (BLM et al. 1998). Approximately one-third of the campground users at Medicine Lake (as indicated by zip code information provided on fee-envelopes) are from the Redding area. A substantial number of visitors come from central and southern California, compared to visitors originating in the Klamath Falls/Medford areas of Oregon. During the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 1996, approximately 90 percent of the campers were from California, with the remaining 10 percent primarily from Oregon and Nevada (BLM et al. 1998).

3.10.2.3.2 Little Mount Hoffman Lookout

Little Mount Hoffman is located in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, approximately 5½ miles west of the proposed power plant site. At the top of Little Mount Hoffman is a former fire observation cabin (referred to as the “Little Mount Hoffman Lookout”) that has been converted into an overnight rental unit for the public. The Lookout is available for rent throughout the year on a permit basis that involves a daily rental fee. Since it opened to the public 3 years ago, use has grown steadily to the point that it is now booked well in advance for the Thursday through Sunday (i.e., weekend) period during the summer months. Weekday reservations are now also becoming limited.

3.10.2.3.3 Lava Beds National Forest

Lava Beds National Monument is located approximately 10 miles north of the proposed power plant site and can be accessed from the Medicine Lake Highlands via Primary Forest Route 49. Lava Beds is operated by the National Park Service (NPS), and is open to the public throughout the year. Developed recreation facilities within the monument include a campground, several picnic areas, and visitor’s center. The NPS estimates that between 1,000 and 2,000 vehicles per month use Primary Forest Route 49 between the Lava Beds National Monument and Medicine Lake in the summer months. NPS records reflect a 3-5 percent yearly increase in general visitation at Lava Beds National Monument over the past three years. Use of the Monument’s wilderness areas is estimated to be about 8,000 visits per month during the summer season (BLM et al. 1998; NPS 1996).

3.10.2.4 Dispersed Recreation

3.10.2.4.1 Summer Dispersed Recreation Uses

June through October are the primary months of dispersed recreation area use due to cold weather and snow during other times of the year. Big-game hunting and recreational driving on the many primitive roads in the Modoc National Forest are the primary recreational activities that occur in dispersed recreation areas. Camping, nature study, hiking, and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use are other typical recreational activities that occur in these areas. Although all forest roads are used in the area for dispersed recreation, popular routes for sightseeing and accessing dispersed recreation uses include: Primary Forest Route 49 between Medicine Lake and Lava Beds National Monument; Primary Forest Route 97; and Forest Road 43N53 and 43N99 (Lyons Peak Loop Road) to access the Glass Mountain Lava Flow. Released roadless areas in the Project vicinity are also used for dispersed recreation. These areas have been “released” from consideration to be designated as wilderness areas. Most released roadless areas in the Project vicinity either have existing roads or have been partially subject to human disturbance in the past from activities such as timber harvests (which is one of the reasons that these areas have not been designated as wilderness areas). New roads and motorized travel are generally not permitted by the USFS within released roadless areas in the Modoc National Forest except to meet management needs or when specifically allowed. Released roadless areas in the immediate Project vicinity include Mount Hoffman.