[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 152 (Monday, August 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48120-48121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20036]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest, Custer, SD--Mountain Pine Beetle
Response Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: This project proposes to treat areas newly infested by
mountain pine beetles on approximately 325,000 acres of the Black Hills
National Forest. Treatments would occur in both South Dakota and
Wyoming, and on all four Ranger Districts. Treatments would be carried
out within the scope of direction provided in the Revised Land and
Resource Management Plan for the Black Hills National Forest, as
amended.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by September 7, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected in February 2012, and the final environmental impact statement
is expected in August 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor,
Black Hills National Forest, 1019 N. 5th Street, Custer, SD 57730.
Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected], with ``MPB Response Project'' in the subject line.
Electronic comments must be submitted in Word (.doc), Rich Text (.rtf),
or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Van-Alstyne, project team
leader, Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, Rapid
City, SD 57701, phone (605) 343-1567. 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 purposes of the project are to reduce the threat to ecosystem
components including forest resources on National Forest System (NFS)
lands from the ongoing mountain pine beetle epidemic, and to help
protect local communities and resources on adjacent lands of other
ownerships from large-scale wildfire by reducing hazardous fuel levels.
Proposed Action
Background The Black Hills National Forest (the Forest) lies in the
Black Hills of western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Of the roughly
1.5 million acres in the Black Hills, about 1.2 million acres are
National Forest System (NFS) lands, with lands of other ownership
comprising another 300,000 acres. The predominant tree species on lands
of all ownerships in the Black Hills is ponderosa pine (Pinus
ponderosae). Since 1997 the Black Hills area has experienced a
significant increase in pine tree mortality from an outbreak of
mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). In many parts of the
Forest beetle populations are at or approaching epidemic levels. The
outbreak in the Black Hills is part of a larger bark beetle epidemic
which has recently affected more than 40 million acres of forest land
in the western United States.
In the Black Hills mountain pine beetles (MPB) typically prefer
stands of dense, mature pine trees. Tree stands in this condition are
frequent and continuous throughout the area. Once attacked by beetles,
most trees typically die, and eventually fall to the ground, adding
dead and dry fuels within an area already rated as having high wildfire
hazard. Since 1980, due to several factors including drought the Forest
has seen a dramatic increase in acreage burned by wildfires. In that
period over 250,000 acres have burned, consuming forest resources and
posing threats to lands of other ownership intermingled with NFS lands.
Proposal The primary management tools for reducing beetle-caused
tree mortality are removing infested trees, and reducing the density of
remaining trees to lessen the susceptibility to attack. The Forest
Service is working to manage persistent and increasing populations of
the mountain pine beetle across the Forest. As part of that larger
effort the Forest is proposing the Mountain Pine Beetle Response
Project (MPBRP--the project). The project would be conducted as an
authorized hazardous fuels reduction project under the authority of the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA). The proposed action
would treat newly detected infestations that may occur on about 325,000
acres of NFS lands to reduce and slow the spread of MPB. Specifically,
newly infested trees would be removed, or made unsuitable for occupancy
by beetles, before beetles can mature and further disperse to other
trees. Some surrounding mature trees at risk of infestation may also be
removed. A variety of treatment options would be available for use
depending on conditions encountered on infested sites. Actual
treatments used at any specific location would be determined at the
time of implementation. Treatment options would include commercial tree
removal using ground-based or cable logging equipment, or helicopter;
non-commercial methods such as chipping trees or cutting them into
short sections; and spraying small areas of trees to prevent
infestation. Some temporary road construction is proposed, although
generally road access would use existing road templates where
available. Roads would be closed after use.
Possible Alternatives
The No Action alternative would not authorize any actions on the
project area at this time. Other alternatives may be developed in
response to public comments.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
No cooperating agencies have been identified.
Responsible Official
The Responsible Official for this project is the Forest Supervisor,
Black Hills National Forest, 1019 North 5th Avenue, Custer, South
Dakota, 57730.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
After considering the proposed action and any alternatives, the
environmental analysis, and public comment, the Forest Supervisor will
decide whether to conduct treatments to reduce and slow the progress of
the beetle epidemic. If an action alternative is selected, the
Supervisor will decide where treatments may occur, and what actions are
appropriate and may be taken. Finally, the decision will include the
scope of monitoring that should occur. No Forest Plan amendment is
proposed.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest
Service seeks to involve interested parties in identifying issues
related to responding to and managing the ongoing insect outbreak.
Public comment will help the planning team identify key issues and
opportunities to develop appropriate responses and alternatives, and
monitoring strategies, and to evaluate the effects of the proposal.
[[Page 48121]]
Three public meetings are planned at this stage of project
analysis. Those will be held August 23, 2011, in Sundance, Wyoming, at
the Crook County Courthouse; August 25 in Hill City, South Dakota, at
the high school; and August 30 in Spearfish, SD, at the Holiday Inn.
All meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Mountain Time (MT), and end at 8 p.m.
M.T. In addition, three public meetings will be held during the comment
period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The Forest Service recognizes the broad public interest in the
communities and counties lying in or adjacent to the Black Hills, as
well as the States of South Dakota and Wyoming. The initial mailing
list for this project includes counties and municipalities lying wholly
or partially within the Forest boundary.
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 be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered, however.
August 2, 2011.
Dennis Jaeger,
Deputy Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-20036 Filed 8-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P