[Federal Register: February 11, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 29)]
[Notices]
[Page 7807-7809]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11fe11-28]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Thorne Bay Ranger District; Alaska; Big Thorne Project
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Big Thorne
Project located on Prince of Wales Island, part of the Thorne Bay
Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest. This proposal is the
multi-year timber sale component of a larger stewardship effort that
will include opportunities such as restoration and enhancement
activities that will be identified through other environmental
analyses. The overall effort will be implemented through the use of
various contracting authorities available to the Forest Service,
including timber sale, service, and stewardship contracts, by combining
some of the timber harvest activities of this project with restoration
and enhancement activities to be analyzed separately. This EIS will
consider the cumulative effects of the timber harvest activities and
reasonably foreseeable stewardship activities in the area.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by March 14, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
in August 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is expected
in February 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Thorne Bay Ranger District,
Tongass National Forest, Attn: Big Thorne Project EIS, P.O. Box 19001,
Thorne
[[Page 7808]]
Bay, AK 99919-0001. Comments may be hand-delivered to the Thorne Bay
Ranger District, 1312 Federal Way, Thorne Bay, AK 99919-0001, Attn: Big
Thorne Project EIS. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to: comments-
alaska-tongass-thornebay@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to 907-828-3309,
Attn: Big Thorne Project EIS. In all correspondence, please include
your name, address, and organization name if you are commenting as a
representative of an organization.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Anderson, District Ranger,
Thorne Bay Ranger District, PO Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK 99919-0001,
(907) 828-3210 or James Kelly, Team Leader, Thorne Bay Ranger District,
PO Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK 99919-0001, (907) 828-3220.
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 and need for the Big Thorne Project is to implement the
Tongass Land Management Plan, aligned with the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Strategic Plan FY 2010-2015 and the Tongass
National Forest transition strategy. The USDA Strategic Plan identifies
key priorities and desired outcomes, such as the goals of rural
prosperity and preservation and maintenance of forests, as well as
means and strategies to achieve them. This project will help to provide
an economically viable, reliable, long-term supply of timber that will
support jobs for the communities of Southeast Alaska and facilitate the
transition to a sustainable forest industry based on young-growth
management. Forest restoration and enhancement activities on Prince of
Wales Island will be integrated during project implementation to
further accomplish the goals of the Strategic Plan. These activities
could include the repair of road culverts that do not meet current
standards for the passage of fish; recreation activities such as trail
improvement; and wildlife and fisheries habitat improvement such as
thinning or stream restoration.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service is proposing a multi-year timber sale project as
part of a larger stewardship effort. The proposed action would harvest
timber from approximately 5,800 acres of forested land using various
sizes of timber sales, offered over a period of about 10 years, within
the roaded land base on Prince of Wales Island. This harvest would
include approximately 600 acres in Phase 2 lands of the Tongass Timber
Adaptive Management Strategy and will be reserved for small timber
sales. Approximately 37 miles of National Forest System and temporary
roads would be constructed and about 26 miles of existing roads would
be reconstructed. Preliminary analysis shows that an estimated 100
million board feet of sawtimber and utility wood could be made
available to industry for harvest. Existing log transfer facilities
would be used as needed. Harvest would include helicopter, ground-
based, and cable yarding systems and could include even-aged, even-aged
with reserves, two-aged with reserves, and uneven-aged harvest
prescriptions to achieve stand objectives. All proposed activities
would meet the standards and guidelines of the Tongass Land Management
Plan.
While the Forest Service is proposing timber harvest in this
project area and other areas on Prince of Wales Island, a collaborative
process is ongoing to develop restoration and enhancement projects. The
projects from this collaborative effort will be integrated with this
timber sale project during implementation to provide stewardship
opportunities. The effects of the reasonably foreseeable restoration
and enhancement projects will be considered in this analysis, but are
not part of this proposed action.
The restoration and enhancement activities will be generated from
other planning documents, including the Cobble Landscape Assessment,
Luck Lake Watershed Restoration Plan, the Prince of Wales and
Surrounding Islands Access Travel Management Plan, and possibly others.
In addition, because this project extends over several years, the
Forest Service will integrate the project during implementation with
future restoration and enhancement projects, including projects
developed as a result of the Prince of Wales Island Young Growth
Thinning Feasibility Study now being conducted. Examples of specific
restoration and enhancement opportunities would include roads and
transportation activities (e.g., repairing ``red pipes'' or bridges,
erosion control, vegetation removal, or road relocation); recreation
activities (e.g., campground and trails improvements, picnic sites, or
vegetation management); young-growth stand improvement; and wildlife
and fisheries habitat improvement projects (e.g., beach fringe
thinning, or placement of large woody debris in streams).
Possible Alternatives
The proposed action includes an estimated 100 million board feet
from approximately 5,800 acres within the roaded land base of east-
central Prince of Wales Island. Scoping comments will be used by the
Forest Service to develop a range of alternatives in response to
significant issues. A no-action alternative will be analyzed.
Responsible Official
The responsible official for the decision on this project is the
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal Building, 648
Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official will decide whether or not to authorize
timber harvest and associated road construction on Prince of Wales
Island in the Big Thorne Project area.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary potential issues which may be analyzed in the EIS
include: The potential effects of the project on the Southeast Alaska
timber supply, supporting the timber industry during the transition
from old-growth harvest to young-growth management, road management,
economic and rural stability, subsistence, deer, watersheds and fish,
scenery, and inventoried roadless areas.
Permits or Licenses Required
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Review Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan.
State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation
Certification of Compliance with Alaska Water Quality
Standards (401 Certification);
Storm water discharge permit/National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System review under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act
(402).
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Solid Waste Disposal Permit;
Authorization for occupancy and use of tidelands and
submerged lands.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. A scoping
document
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will be posted on the Tongass National Forest public Web site at:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/projects/projects.shtml and a scoping
letter will be mailed out in early February 2011. Individuals who want
to be on the project mailing list should contact the Thorne Bay Ranger
District at the address above. The scoping package will be available at
future public open house meetings planned to be held in Thorne Bay,
Coffman Cove, Craig, and Naukati, Alaska in late February or early
March 2011. These meetings will be announced in the paper of record,
the Ketchikan Daily News, as well as the Island News, Thorne Bay,
Alaska.
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.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public
record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered, however.
Dated: February 1, 2011.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-3072 Filed 2-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P