[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36743-36744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14636]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Adoption of Final Environmental Assessment (UT-040-09-03)
Prepared for the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management
Project
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to adopt final Environmental Assessment
(EA).
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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) announces its intent to adopt the Kanab
Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project EA, as prepared by the
U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under
the provisions of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations (40 CFR 1506.3).
DATES: NRCS will accept comments received or postmarked concerning the
adoption of this EA at the address below until July 19, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments concerning the adoption of the Kanab
Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project EA, request a copy of the
EA, or submit comments on actions being taken by NRCS regarding this
matter to: Mr. Gary McRae, Resource Conservationist, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, 125 South State Street, Room 4010, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84138.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gary McRae, Resource
Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 125 South
State Street, Room 4010, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138; email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRCS announces its intent to adopt the Kanab
Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project EA (UT-040-09-03)
prepared by the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Color County District, under the provisions of the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR 1506.3). NRCS has
reviewed this EA and determined that it adequately addresses the
environmental impacts related to the proposed action for the private
land vegetation treatment within the watershed.
As described in the EA, the area project is 130,689 acres with up
to 52,043 acres proposed for treatment. The NRCS is the lead agency
dealing with the small private parcels totaling 31,401 acres within
this proposed watershed. A portion of this private land, the acreage is
dependent on private landowner's preference, will also participate in
vegetation treatment. The proposed action is needed to: (1) Reduce
hazardous fuels and risk to life and property from catastrophic
wildland fire, (2) restore and improve
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the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, (3) increase plant species diversity
and improve watershed conditions and water quality, (4) improve the
health of both woodland and sagebrush/grassland by increasing
vegetation diversity as well as age class structure, (5) enhance
important seasonal and year-round habitat for several species of
wildlife including but not limited to sage grouse, mule deer, elk, and
pronghorn antelope, and (6) decrease the amount of pinyon/juniper
expansion into areas historically dominated by sagebrush and grass.
Dated: June 4, 2013.
David C. Brown,
Utah State Conservationist .
[FR Doc. 2013-14636 Filed 6-18-13; 8:45 am]
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