[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9157-9159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03428]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Klamath National Forest; California; McCollins Late Successional
Reserve Habitat Restoration Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose the
environmental effects of treatments proposed to: Promote the continued
development and retention of late successional old growth conditions;
promote resilience of early- and mid-seral vegetation to large scale
disturbance events such as wildfire or insects and disease; restore and
maintain pine/oak forest type, oak woodlands, and wildlife habitat;
and, reduce wildfire threat and potential fire intensity within the
Wildland Urban Interface, especially surrounding private residences and
structures. Treatments are proposed on about 2,700 acres and consist of
commercial and non-commercial thinning, and, piling and burning of
activity generated fuels. The project area is located east of Horse
Creek, in Siskiyou County, California. Legal location: Township 46
North Range 9 West Sections 9, 10, 15-22, 27-33; and Township 46 North
Range 10 West Sections 13, 21-28, and 32-36; Mount Diablo Meridian.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by March 20, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
December 2014 and the final environmental impact statement is expected
June 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Patricia A. Grantham, ATTN: Kim
Crider, Project Leader, Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District, 63822
Highway 96, Klamath National Forest, Happy Camp, California 96039.
Submit electronic comments at the Klamath
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National Forest's project Web page: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=38559 by selecting the ``Comment on Project''
link in the ``Get Connected'' group at the right hand side of the
project Web page. Put the project name in the subject line; attachments
may be in the following formats: plain text (.txt), rich text format
(.rtf), Word (.doc, .docx), or portable document format (.pdf). Send
comments via facsimile to 530-493-1796.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Crider, Project Leader, phone:
530-493-1724, email: [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. Proposal information is also
available on the Klamath National Forest's project Web page at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=38559.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
A Forest Service interdisciplinary team composed of specialists
from a wide array of disciplines in conjunction with interested
parties, considered the need for change and potential actions in the
project area. The collaboration efforts included a public meeting and
field trip. The IDT identified the following purpose and need for the
project by comparing the existing conditions in the project area with
the desired conditions described in the Klamath National Forest Land
and Resource Management Plan and Late Successional Reserve Assessments:
(1) Promote the continued development and retention of Late
Successional Old Growth conditions; (2) Promote resilience of early-
and mid-seral vegetation to large-scale disturbance events such as
wildfire or insects and disease; (3) Restore and maintain pine/oak
forest type, oak woodlands, and wildlife habitat; and (4) Reduce
wildfire threat and potential fire intensity within the WUI, especially
surrounding private residences and structures.
Proposed Action
The Klamath National Forest proposes actions to move the project
area from the existing condition to the desired condition. Project
design features and best management practices are incorporated into the
proposed action. Acres by treatment type are described below and do not
account for the overlap in treatment types. Treatment acreages are
approximate at this point and may be adjusted and refined following the
opportunity to provide scoping comments.
No roads will be added to, or removed from, the National Forest
Transportation System as part of this project. To facilitate commercial
treatments and reduce log skidding distances and associated impacts to
soils and other resources, the proposed action includes temporary
access along sixteen segments of existing roadbeds totaling about 1.34
miles and 0.36 miles of new temporary roadbed construction within the
project area. Both existing and new temporary roadbeds will be closed,
and where needed, hydrologically stabilized following project
implementation.
About 137 landings will be needed to treat commercial units. Of
these, 125 are existing landings and about twelve new landings will be
constructed. About102 landings will be roadside continuous landings
averaging one-tenth of an acre in size. Thirty-five landings will be
needed for ground based units; landings will average from one-third to
one-half acre in size.
Commercial Thinning: Commercial thinning treatments will use
tractor, mechanized and cable logging systems to treat about 590 acres.
Treatment prescriptions will vary by unit, and will be guided by
topographic location, amount of disease present, and desired
regeneration species. Treatment of trees larger than 20 inches diameter
at breast height (dbh) will be considered as needed to meet the project
objectives. Commercial utilization of wood fiber will be a by-product
of the need for treatment in Late Successional Reserves and Riparian
Reserves. Where possible, commercial thinning will involve whole tree
yarding or yarding with tops attached. This will limit fuel
accumulation in harvest units by allowing for limbs and tops to be
piled and burned at landings. Other post-harvest fuel treatment methods
will be considered as deemed necessary by a fuels specialist and may
include: Grapple piling and burning, hand piling and burning, lop and
scatter, or no treatment.
Mastication: Mastication will be used on about 164 acres to reduce
fuel bed depth, raise crown base height, increase fuel to ground
contact to promote decomposition and generate more fine materials.
Non-commercial Thinning: Non-commercial thinning on about 1,269
acres, will involve cutting trees less than nine inches dbh, piling,
and burning using hand methods. This will reduce ladder fuels and
surface fuels, while promoting tree growth rates.
Non-commercial Thinning Adjacent to Private Property: Non-
commercial thinning on about 656 acres of National Forest System lands
within 500 feet of private property will involve cutting, piling, and
burning of trees less than nine inches dbh using hand methods. This
will reduce ladder fuels and surface fuels, while promoting tree growth
rates.
Oak Stand Improvement: Oak stand improvement treatments on about 20
acres involves removal of conifers encroaching on black and white oaks.
Trees less than nine inches dbh will be cut, piled, and burned using
hand methods or non-commercial means. This will reduce ladder fuels and
surface fuels, while promoting oak growth rates and mast production.
Treatment in Riparian Reserves: There are about 335 acres (43 acres
of proposed commercial thinning; and 292 acres of proposed non-
commercial thinning) of stream associated riparian reserves within
proposed treatment units. Thinning in riparian reserves is planned
where necessary to meet desired conditions as described in the Klamath
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Trees of commercial
value that are thinned will be left on site, except where large woody
debris and/or coarse woody debris is above reference condition in which
case they may be removed to produce wood fiber as a by-product.
Responsible Official
Patricia A. Grantham, Klamath National Forest Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official will decide whether to adopt and implement
the proposed action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no
action to change existing conditions within the project area.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. To assist the
Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on
the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible. We are
particularly interested in hearing about any potential issues, which
are defined as points of discussion, dispute, or debate about the
effects of the proposed action. Your participation will help the
interdisciplinary team develop effective, issue-driven alternatives and
mitigations to the proposed action as needed.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the
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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.
Dated: February 10, 2014.
Patricia A. Grantham,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-03428 Filed 2-14-14; 8:45 am]
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