[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26239-26240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11097]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District, Oregon, 
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for 
the Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project.

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SUMMARY: On January 27, 2011, Umatilla National Forest Supervisor Kevin 
Martin withdrew his October 8, 2010 Record of Decision (ROD) for the 
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS).
    The Umatilla National Forest will prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to clarify and revise portions of 
the Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction project FEIS analysis.

DATES: There will be no additional scoping period for the Cobbler II 
Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS). This is consistent with regulations found at 40 CFR 
1509.2 (ii)(4). There will be a 45-day public comment period held when 
the Draft SEIS is released.
    The Draft SEIS is expected in June 2011. The final SEIS is expected 
in October 2011.

ADDRESSES: This SEIS analysis in being overseen by: Michael Rassbach, 
District Ranger; Walla Walla Ranger District; 1415 W. Rose; Walla 
Walla, Washington 99362.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimpton Cooper, 509-522-6290 or 
[email protected].
    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.
    Information concerning the Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels 
Reduction project FEIS can be found on the Umatilla National Forest Web 
site at (http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_test/fs-usda-pop.html?project=29678).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 26240]]

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Purpose and Need for the Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels 
Reduction SEIS is the same as identified within the Cobbler II Timber 
Sale and Fuels Reduction Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on 
pages 1-4 and 1-5. The Forest Service is preparing this Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to clarify and revise sections of 
the environmental analysis conducted for the original October 2010 
Cobbler II FEIS.

Proposed Action

    The actions proposed and analyzed in the Cobbler II FEIS will not 
change in the SEIS. The Umatilla National Forest proposes to supplement 
the following analysis to that which was originally presented in the 
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction FEIS (October 2010).

 Chapter 1
    [cir] Minor editorial changes and additional clarifying 
information.

 Chapter 2
    [cir] Minor editorial changes and additional clarifying 
information.

 Chapter 3
    [cir] Clarification of cumulative effects analysis for all 
resources .
    [cir] Revision of wildlife environmental effects section.
    [cir] Revision of vegetation environmetal effects section.
    [cir] Other editorial changes and additional clarifying 
information.

    The supplemental information presented within the SEIS will replace 
the corresponding information found in the October 2010 Cobbler II 
FEIS. For example, the revised wildlife environmental effects section 
of the SEIS will replace the wildlife environmental effects section of 
the FEIS. All other areas of the anlaysis that are not identified for 
supplementation within the SEIS will remain unaltered from its 
presentation in the FEIS. In this manner the SEIS and FEIS will be 
companion documents.

Responsible Official

    Forest Supervisor for the Umatilla National Forest, Kevin Martin.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decisions to be made include:
    1. Whether a Forest Plan amendment should occur at this time?
    2. Whether harvest and prescribed landscape fire along with 
associated activities should occur, and if so, how much and where?
    3. Whether other vegetation management activities (hardwood 
restoration, meadow restoration, and non-commercial thinning) and their 
associated activities should occur and when should they occur?
    4. What monitoring or mitigation measures should be taken or 
needed?

Opportunity to Comment

    This notice is for a supplemental EIS, and therefore no further 
scoping is necessary (40 CFR 1502.9 (ii)(4)).
    The public has had several formal opportunities to comment on this 
project prior to the initiation of this SEIS. The public will be 
provided a formal opportunity to comment when the Draft SEIS is 
released in June 2011.
    Comments received in response to this notice, 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, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review.

    Dated: April 28, 2011.
Kevin Martin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-11097 Filed 5-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P