From: Subject: FR Doc 07-4253 Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2007 23:29:06 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-4253.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc 07-4253 
[Federal Register: August 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 168)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 50096-50098]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30au07-17]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

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Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger District, CA; Flea=20
Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact=20
statement to disclose the environmental effects resulting from=20
construction of fuel breaks known as defensible fuel profile zones=20
(DFPZs); harvest and reforestation of timber stands; restoration and=20
enhancement of aquatic and riparian habitat; improvement of wildlife=20
habitat and long term watershed condition; underburning to improve the=20
health of unique plant communities; and road construction,=20
reconstruction, and decommissioning.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received=20
within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal=20
Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected by=20
January 2008, and the final environmental impact statement is expected=20
by April 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Karen Hayden, District Ranger,=20
Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger District, 875 Mitchell=20
Ave, Oroville, CA 95965. Comments may be (1) Mailed to the Responsible=20
Official; (2) hand-delivered between the hours of 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,=20
Monday through Friday, excluding holidays; (3) faxed to (530) 532-1210;=20
or (4) electronically mailed

[[Page 50097]]

to: com=
ments-pacificsouthwest-plumas-featherrvr@fs.fed.us.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Zarlengo, Project Leader, Feather=20
River Ranger District, 875 Mitchell Avenue, Oroville, CA 95965, or call=20
(530) 532-8932.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Flea Project area is located within the=20
Feather River Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest in Butte=20
County. Encompassing approximately 11,000 acres, the project area is=20
located north and east of Paradise, from De Sabla in the northwest to=20
Jorbo Gap in the southeast, and north and west of Mayaro and North Fork=20
of the Feather River in the northeast. Treatment units range in=20
elevation from 1,600 to 4,300 feet above sea level. Communities in and=20
near the project area include Paradise, Magalia, DeSabla, Yankee Hill,=20
Concow, Pulga and Mayaro.
    The Flea Project is proposed as part of a broad resource management=20
program to promote the ecological health of lands and economic health=20
and stability of communities in the northern Sierra Nevada under the=20
authority of the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery=20
Act (HFQLG Act).

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Forest Service has identified the following project objectives:=20
(1) Protect communities and forest ecosystems from high-intensity=20
wildfires; (2) promote a healthy all-aged, multistoried, fire-resilient=20
forest; (3) contribute to the stability and economic health of=20
communities; (4) promote the health of unique plant communities; (5)=20
promote healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems, and improve long term=20
watershed condition; and (6) improve wildlife habitat.

Proposed Action

    To achieve project objectives, the Forest Service proposes to=20
construct approximately 2,007 acres of fuelbreaks known as Defensible=20
Fuel Profile Zones (DFPZ). A DFPZ is a strategically located strip of=20
land approximately \1/2\ mile in width on which fuels, both living and=20
dead, have been modified in order to reduce the potential for sustained=20
crown fire and to allow fire suppression personnel a safer location=20
from which to take action against a wildfire. The DFPZs in the Flea=20
Project would be part of a larger, strategic system of DFPZs on the=20
Plumas National Forest, adjacent private lands, and other national=20
forests.
    Proposed DFPZs are generally located on ridges, along roads, or=20
adjacent to private property within wildland urban interface with tree=20
crowns spaced at a distance that reduces the potential for crown fire=20
spread (generally 40 percent canopy cover). DFPZs would be constructed=20
through mechanically thinning and biomass removal on approximately 671=20
acres, mastication on approximately 456 acres, underburning on=20
approximately 447 acres, and hand cutting, piling, and burning on=20
approximately 433 acres.
    The Forest Service proposes to harvest up to 5 million board feet=20
of timber from group selection units (228 acres), and DFPZ mechanical=20
thinning units (546 acres). Group selection involves harvest of trees=20
less than 30-inches in diameter from small (0.5 to 2 acres) groups.=20
Over time, this would create an uneven-aged (all-aged) forest made up=20
of a mosaic of small groups of same-aged trees.
    Use of existing and temporary roads would be needed to access group=20
selection and DFPZ treatment areas. An estimated 13.4 miles of existing=20
road would be reconstructed with 0.45 additional miles of new=20
classified road construction and 4.5 miles of new temporary spur=20
construction. An estimated 9.5 miles of system roads would be=20
decommissioned or closed by various methods, such as ripping and=20
seeding, re-contouring, and installing barriers. Future use of all=20
other roads and user-developed OHV routes in the Flea Project area=20
would be determined by the Plumas National Forest's travel management=20
process. Improve the health of serpentine plant communities through the=20
use of prescribed fire. Underburn approximately 100 acres included as=20
DFPZ treatment.
    Aquatic and riparian restoration projects include restoring and=20
enhancing aquatic, native plant, and riparian habitat and improving=20
long term watershed condition by decommissioning 9.5 miles of system=20
roads, replacing or upgrading three culverts to restore aquatic species=20
passage to approximately 5 miles of upstream habitat; and stabilizing=20
stream channels and banks.
    Habitat for northern goshawk would be improved by enhancing tree=20
growth and health, and by creating a more desirable open understory on=20
84 acres included as DFPZ treatment.

Responsible Official

    Karen L. Hayden, District Ranger, 875 Mitchell Ave., Oroville, CA=20
95965 is the Responsible Official. The Forest Service intends to use=20
Stewardship contracting authority to apply the value from timber=20
harvest to offset costs of fuel treatments.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide whether to implement this=20
proposal, an alternative design that moves the project area towards the=20
desired conditions, or not to implement any project at this time.

Scoping Process

    Public questions and comments regarding this proposal are an=20
integral part of this environmental analysis process. Comments will be=20
used to identify issues and develop alternatives to the proposed=20
action. To assist the Forest service in identifying and considering=20
issues and concerns related to the proposed actions, comments should be=20
as specific as possible.
    Information about the proposed action will be mailed to the=20
adjacent landowners, as well as to those people and organizations that=20
have indicated a specific interest in the project, to Native American=20
entities, and federal, state, and local agencies. The public will be=20
notified of any meetings regarding this proposal by mailings and press=20
releases sent to local newspapers and media. A community meeting in the=20
project area is planned for January 2008, although specific information=20
is not available at this time.

Preliminary Issues

    The following preliminary issues have been identified for this=20
proposal: (a) Impacts of ground disturbing activities on watershed=20
condition, (b) impacts of activities on highly erodible soils, (c)=20
economic feasibility of the project due to high treatment and=20
regeneration costs, and (d) impacts of activities on habitat used by=20
the California spotted owl and northern goshawk. Continued analysis=20
will determine the relevance of these preliminary issues. Additional=20
issues may be identified during the scoping process.

Permits or Licenses Required

    No federal permits, licenses, or entitlements are necessary to=20
implement the proposed project. State requirements, based on federal=20
laws, and administered by the County Agricultural Commissioner for air=20
quality management will be followed. These requirements include burning=20
only on permissive burn days or receiving a special variance prior to=20
ignition. Smoke permits are required from the Northern Sierra and=20
Feather River Air Quality Management Districts (AQMD) prior to any=20
understory or pile burning. Timber Harvest Activity Waivers are=20
required from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.

[[Page 50098]]

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides=20
the development of the environmental impact statement. The public is=20
encouraged to take part in the process and is encouraged to visit with=20
Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior to=20
the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments,=20
and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and other=20
individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or affected by,=20
the proposed vegetation management activities.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent=20
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be=20
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental=20
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental=20
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal=20
Register.

    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important=20
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public=20
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of=20
draft environmental impact statements must structure their=20
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is=20
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and=20
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,=20
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the=20
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised=20
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may=20
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d=20
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490=20
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,=20
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action=20
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that=20
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest=20
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to=20
them in the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues=20
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft=20
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is=20
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the=20
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft=20
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives=20
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer=20
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing=20
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Act at 40 CFR=20
1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who=20
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal=20
and will be available for public inspection.

    Dated: August 21, 2007.
Karen L. Hayden,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 07-4253 Filed 8-29-07; 8:45 am]

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