[Federal Register: January 21, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 12)]
[Notices]
[Page 3547-3548]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21ja09-43]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California; Moosehead Vegetation
and Road Management Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Shasta-Trinity National Forest proposes to thin forest
stands and reduce fuel loads on approximately 2,300 acres of National
Forest System Lands. Overstocked forest stands would be thinned by
removing primarily understory and midstory trees to achieve desired
stocking. Trees to be removed would generally be smaller in size than
trees that would be retained. Some dominant and codominant trees may be
removed to attain desired stocking. Forest stand treatments would be
accomplished primarily through commercial harvest. Harvest operations
would yield sawtimber (logs) and biomass (chips) products. After
commercial harvest, fuels would be reduced by treating brush and small
diameter trees in the forest understory. Road reconstruction, closure
and decommissioning are also proposed. Approximately 22 miles of road
would be reconstructed to improve drainage and reduce erosion. The
existing open road network would be reduced by decommissioning \1/4\
mile of road and closing approximately 10 miles of road.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
no later than 30 days after the publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
in July 2009 and the final environmental impact statement is expected
in November 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: District Ranger Priscila S.
Franco, Mt. Shasta Ranger Station, 204 W. Alma St., Mt. Shasta,
California 96067. Send e-mail comments to: comments-pacificsouthwest-
shasta-trinity-mtshasta-mccloud@fs.fed.us.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide
the respondent with standing to appeal the subsequent decision.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Natvig, P.O. Box 688, Hot
Springs, SD 57747, telephone (605) 745-3253, e-mail jnatvig@fs.fed.us.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the proposed action is to protect and enhance
conditions in late successional forest ecosystems. The majority of the
project area falls within lands identified by the Shasta-Trinity Land
and Resource Management Plan as Late Successional Reserve (LSR),
Managed Late Successional Area (MLSA) and Riparian Reserve. Protection
includes reducing the risk of large-scale disturbance such as stand-
replacing wildfires and epidemic forest insect and disease outbreaks.
Fire exclusion over the last 100 years has created dense forest
conditions which have a negative impact on tree vigor and forest
health. Overstocked stands are stressed by competition for limited
resources and are at risk to high levels of insect-caused mortality,
especially during periods of drought. The closed canopy, mixed-conifer
stands are densely stocked with pole-sized trees in the midstory and
understory and pockets of dead and down wood. The combination of
deadwood, understory and midstory ladder fuels creates fuel conditions
that in the event of fire, could result in high fire intensities
spreading fire from the understory into the crowns of overstory conifer
trees. The stands are at risk of loss from stand-replacing wildfire
during weather periods that support extreme fire behavior. Treatments
that decrease surface, ladder and canopy fuels will make the area more
resistant to stand-replacing wildfires.
A California-Oregon Transmission Project high voltage powerline
crosses the project area. Interruption or loss of service associated
with this powerline has the potential to impact a large number of
electric users. Vegetation and fuel conditions in close proximity to
the powerline should be treated so ground forces can control a wildfire
under most fire weather conditions.
Hardwoods and meadows are important components of an ecosystem;
however, hardwoods and meadows
[[Page 3548]]
make up only a small portion of the project area (less than one
percent). Wildfires that maintained early successional hardwoods and
meadows have not occurred, or have been rare events since fire
suppression efforts began in the early 1900s. Conifers gradually become
established in both meadows and aspen stands. Hardwoods are desired as
a stand component in LSRs/MLSAs. Therefore, actions are needed to
maintain these sites as aspen or meadow.
Proper drainage of system roads is needed to minimize surface
erosion. Culverts must also be fully functional and of proper size to
facilitate area drainage to prevent erosion causing water flow over
road surfaces. Reconstruction of system roads is needed to improve road
drainage and replace culverts.
Proposed Action
The proposed action would reduce forest stocking and fuels on
approximately 2,300 acres. In addition, 10 acres of meadow and aspen
would be restored. Riparian Reserves would be treated in limited areas
to improve or protect late-successional forest habitat. Project actions
within Riparian Reserves would meet the objectives of the Aquatic
Conservation Strategy in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan. Overstocked early and mid-successional stands
would be thinned to promote the development of late-successional stand
characteristics and reduce the risk of stand loss due to epidemic
insect-caused mortality. Thinning treatments would retain 10 percent or
more of the stand in un-thinned patches and up to 15 percent of the
stand would be in heavily thinned patches or openings up to \1/4\ acre
in size for stand diversity. Canopy, ladder and surface fuels would be
reduced through thinning and treatment of surface fuels and brush.
Open-road density will be decreased by decommissioning
approximately \1/4\ mile of Forest System road and closing 10 miles of
Forest System roads with gates, barricades, or earth berms. Erosion of
existing roads would be reduced by improving road drainage, replacing
culverts and surfacing roads with rock.
Forest stand treatments would be accomplished primarily through
commercial harvest, yielding sawtimber and chip products. Trees would
be felled, removed and processed with mechanized equipment. Harvested
trees would be transported from the stump to central landing areas
adjacent to roads where they would be limbed and processed into
sawtimber logs or chips.
Responsible Official
J. Sharon Heywood, Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National
Forest.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Supervisor will decide whether to implement the proposed
action, take an alternative action that meets the purpose and need or
take no action.
Scoping Process and Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The project is
included in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest's quarterly schedule of
proposed actions (SOPA). Information on the proposed action will be
posted on the forest Web site, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/projects and advertised in both the Redding Record Searchlight and the
Mount Shasta Herald. Comments submitted during this scoping process
should be in writing and should be specific to the proposed action.
Comments should describe as clearly and completely as possible any
issues the commenter has with the proposal. The scoping process
includes:
(a) Identifying potential issues.
(b) Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
(c) Eliminating non-significant issues or those previously covered
by a relevant environmental analysis.
(d) Exploring additional alternatives.
(e) Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed
action and alternatives.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions. The submission of
timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to
participate in subsequent administrative appeal or judicial review.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal
Register.
At this stage, it is important to note several court rulings
related to public participation in the environmental review process.
Reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond in
the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. In addressing these points
reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21.
J. Sharon Heywood,
Forest Supervisor, Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
[FR Doc. E9-920 Filed 1-16-09; 8:45 am]
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