[Federal Register: January 22, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 13)]
[Notices]
[Page 3984-3985]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja09-8]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest; California; Piute Fire Restoration
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The project area for this analysis is the approximately 32,890
acre portion of the Piute Fire on National Forest System lands;
approximately 1,700 acres of the fire restoration project area fall
within the former Clear CreekProject area. The USDA Forest Service,
Sequoia National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) for a proposal to treat approximately 2,260 acres of fire killed
and damaged trees, both through removal and treating on site, in the
Piute Fire burned area; some of these treatment areas are within the
former Clear Creek Project area. The land allocations within the fire
area, as identified in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan SupplementalEIS,
are old forest emphasis, general forest, threat zone, defense zone,
protected activity centers for spotted owls, spotted owl home range
core areas, and riparian conservation areas adjacent to perennial,
seasonal, and ephemeral streams.
There is a need in the Piute Fire area for: (1) the recovery of the
economic value of timber killed or severely injured by the fire, in a
expeditious manner, for the purposes of reducing the cost of
reforestation activities and supplying wood fiber to local sawmills;
(2) the prevention of a future high intensity, stand-replacing wildfire
by reducing long term fuel loading for the purpose of facilitating
future fire management techniques (prescribed fire and wildland fire
use); (3) the recruitment and retention of both short and long term
large down logs and snag habitat, for the purpose of providing
sufficient burned forest habitat for dependent species; (4) the re-
vegetation of conifer stands and other plant and animal habitats that
were burned; (5) the improvement of long term soil productivity, by
repairing roads and establishing effective ground cover in severely
burned areas, for the purpose of minimizing soil erosion and begin to
replace soil organic material; and (6) the reduction of safety hazards
to the public and forest workers from falling trees.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by February 23, 2009. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected August 2009, and the final environmental impact statement is
expected February 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Sue Porter, Project Leader, Kern
RiverRanger District, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238, and Attention:
Piute FireRestoration. Comments may be sent via e-mail
smporter@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to 760-376-3795. Comments received
in response to this solicitation, including the names and addresses of
those who comment, will be part of the public record on 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: Sue Porter, 760-376-3781, extension
650. 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
In June and July 2008, the Piute Fire burned approximately 37,025
acres on the Sequoia National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and
private lands. The fire burned with varying intensity across a variety
of plant communities(chaparral, oak woodland, Jeffrey pine, mixed
conifer, pinyon-juniper, and desert shrub). Approximately 60% of the
forested areas of the fire were burned such that 75-100% of the trees
were killed and the duff and litter that protected the soil was
completely consumed. In these areas, the fire resulted in the
destruction of wildlife habitat for sensitive species and the loss of
old forest characteristics. Near the end of the fire, two localized,
heavy rainstorm events occurred within the Piute Fire area. These
events resulted in high rates of soil erosion in the fire area,
sedimentation of streams, and debris flows that extended into the Kern
River from Erskine Creek and ClearCreek and into the Walker Basin from
Thompson Creek.
The fire killed tens of thousands of trees that, if left untreated,
will contribute to extremely high fuel loading over time. As these dead
trees fall and fuel accumulates, future fires will be even more severe.
Treating the dead and dying tree component of the landscape is the
first step in restoring forest health, reducing long term fuel loading,
and restoring the historic fire regime, thereby reducing the impacts of
fires on the future forest and contributing to the restoration of old
forest habitats. Without treatment to begin to restore the fire area,
significant additional impacts to soil, water quality, heritage
resources, and wildlife habitat are likely over the short and long
term.
This environmental impact statement (EIS) will address: treating
the dead and dying tree component of the landscape, reforesting burned
conifer areas, and repairing roads to reduce sediment delivery to
streams. The process of completing these treatments would reduce soil
erosion by immediately increasing effective ground cover (limbs, twigs,
and small boles) and maintain soil productivity for tree growth.
Proposed Action
The proposed action would remove dead and dying trees, using
ground-based logging methods, to recover the economic value of timber
on about 510 acres and treated on site to reduce future fuel loading on
an additional 1,750 acres. Trees posing a safety hazard to the public
and forest workers would be removed along roads. Roads would be
reconstructed and repaired to facilitate access to treatment areas and
to improve watershed condition. Slash would be treated to provide
ground cover and reduce short term fuel loading. Conifer seedlings
would be planted to begin reforestation of the fire area. Protection
would be applied to sensitive plant and wildlife species and heritage
resources.
The proposed action is consistent with the 1988 Sequoia National
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended by the Sierra
Nevada Forest PlanAmendment Record of Decision, and the 1990 Mediated
Settlement Agreement.
Possible Alternatives
Other alternatives will be developed based on significant issues
identified during the scoping process for the environmental impact
statement. All alternatives will need to respond to the specific
condition of providing benefits equal to or better than the current
condition. Alternatives being considered at this time include: (1) No
Action, and (2) the Proposed Action.
[[Page 3985]]
Responsible Official
Tina Terrell, Forest Supervisor, Sequoia National Forest, 1839
South Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257, is the responsible
official. As the responsible official, she will document the decision
and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision
will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR Part 215).
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether to adopt and implement the
proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no
action to remove or treat fire killed and damaged trees in the project
area, to plant conifer seedlings, to undertake road improvements, or to
implement fuel treatments.
Scoping Process
The notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement.
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.
Dated: January 13, 2009.
Tina J. Terrell,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E9-1043 Filed 1-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M