[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61283-61285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24229]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Shawnee National Forest, Illinois; Cretaceous Hills Ecological
Restoration
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest (Forest)
intends to prepare an environmental impact statement to disclose the
environmental consequences of an ecological restoration project. In the
environmental impact statement, the USDA Forest Service will address
the potential environmental effects of the restoration of an oak-
hickory hardwood forest-type and the increase of wildlife habitat
diversity through the removal or thinning of non-native pine trees and
small shade-tolerant hardwood trees from about 3,200 acres, the
application of prescribed fire on about 15,100 acres, treatment of
invasive species, maintenance of barrens habitats, development of
vernal ponds, and transportation system maintenance, construction, or
reconstruction.
The Cretaceous Hills Ecological Restoration Project (Hills Project)
is located in the Bay Creek Ditch, Barren Creek and Sister Islands-Ohio
River watersheds between the communities of Metropolis and Bay City, in
southern Pope and eastern Massac Counties, Illinois. The 26,102 acres
in the project areas include about 15,130 acres of National Forest
System land and 10,972 acres of state and private land. All activities
are proposed on National Forest System land.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by November 10, 2014 in order to be most useful in the development of
the environmental impact statement. The draft environmental impact
statement is expected February, 2015 and the final environmental impact
statement is expected September, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted on the Hills Project Web page:
http://tinyurl.com/Cretaceous-Hills-Shawnee-NF. Written comments may be
sent to: Shawnee National Forest, Attn: Hills Project, 602 N. 1st
Street, Vienna, IL 62995. Comments may also be sent via facsimile to
(618) 658-1300, with ``Hills Project'' on the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Kunzmann at 602 N. 1st Street,
Vienna, (618) 658-2111, 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of and Need for Action
The purpose of the Hills Project is to implement land management
activities consistent with the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
(Plan) and bring the Forest closer to the desired condition stated
therein. The Forest Plan outlines goals, objectives and desired
conditions for Forest resources. The Hills Project Area encompasses
three Forest Plan management-prescription areas: Even-Aged Hardwood
Forest (EH), Mature Hardwood Forest (MH) and Natural Area (NA).
The EH management prescription emphasizes maintenance of the oak-
hickory forest-type; ecological restoration to native hardwood of areas
planted with non-native pine; wildlife habitat associated with a mix of
hardwoods, pine and openland; and the production of high-quality
hardwoods in a roaded-natural recreational setting. The desired
condition relevant to this project is for a natural-appearing landscape
with stands of hardwood trees in various age and size classes. The
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oak-hickory community and associated understories dominate. The land
supports a variety of wildlife, ranging from species that utilize
early-successional stages to those requiring mature-stand
characteristics. Some areas are actively managed for forest-interior
species. Roads provide access for recreation, administration and
management purposes, including transportation of forest products
(Forest Plan, page 59).
The MH management prescription provides for recreation, wildlife
and soil and water protection, with motorized and non-motorized
recreation occurring in a roaded-natural or semi-primitive setting. The
prescription provides habitat for wildlife requiring mature-hardwood
forest conditions. The desired condition relevant to this project is a
landscape of natural ecosystems. Usually dominant, mature, hardwood
trees and associated vegetation are interspersed with openland
ecosystems; some areas are actively managed for forest-interior species
(Forest Plan, page 68).
The NA management prescription provides for the preservation,
protection and/or enhancement of the unique natural values found in
many natural areas on the Forest. The desired future condition relevant
to this project is that the four designated natural areas included in
the project, each biologically and geologically unique, contain a
variety of wildlife species and diverse vegetation in a natural-
appearing condition.
The forest in the EH management area is about 30 percent non-native
pine that was planted in the 1930's and 1940's to control erosion on
depleted farmland. Forest Plan management goals include the conversion
of non-native pine plantations to native hardwoods, emphasizing the
removal of pine within or adjacent to natural areas; and the
restoration and maintenance of the oak-hickory forest-type for
biological diversity and wildlife habitat, utilizing landscape-level
prescribed burning, timber harvesting and timber-stand improvement to
help create and/or maintain the necessary ecological conditions for
regeneration and maintenance (Forest Plan, pages 21-22). The area has
also been affected by two major ice storms that damaged many trees,
increasing fuel-loading throughout.
The forest in the MH management area was also damaged by the ice
storms, with a heavy hazardous fuel load. This area includes the Burke
Branch Inventoried Roadless Area, a forest-interior habitat as
described in the Forest Plan (page 43). Managed under the NA management
prescription, designated natural areas in the project area include
Robnett Barrens Ecological Area, Dog Creek Barrens Ecological Area and
Dean Cemetery East Barrens Ecological Area, as well as the Burke Branch
Research Natural Area Ecological Area, with mesic barrens, mesic
floodplain forest and dry mesic upland forest. Among the Forest Plan
goals are the restoration and maintenance of barrens through active
management and the management of forest-interior habitats for large
blocks of oak-hickory forests, with burning conducted frequently to
promote oak-hickory generation and to control competition from shade-
tolerant and invasive species, and the application of herbicide to
control invasive species (Forest Plan, pages 21, 26 and 43).
Proposed Action
The following actions have been identified to address the needs
described above. (1) To meet the need to convert about 3,200 acres of
non-native pine plantations to the oak-hickory hardwood forest-type,
conduct commercial harvest through overstory removal of remnant pine
trees on about 490 acres and shelterwood with reserves and thinning on
about 2,600 acres. Treatments include two entries for site-preparation
for natural regeneration on about 3,200 acres and the application of
prescribed fire. Herbicides are proposed for site preparation and
control of shade-tolerant species. (2) To reduce the threat of wildfire
from the hazardous fuel load in the project area, prescribed fire will
be applied to about 15,100 acres throughout the project area. This will
not only reduce the fuel load in the area, but also will aid in the
restoration and maintenance of designated natural areas and forest-
interior habitat. (3) To restore and enhance the barrens natural areas,
herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied where
necessary, small trees and shrubs will be removed, and non-native pines
will be clearcut from about 90 acres within and adjacent to natural
areas. (4) To maintain forest-interior habitat to increase wildlife
diversity, herbicide treatments and prescribed fire will be applied
where necessary. (5) To create additional habitat diversity, twenty
small vernal pools will be constructed in the project area. (6) To
provide management and possible future recreational access to the
project areas, roads will be maintained, constructed or reconstructed.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is the Hidden Springs-Mississippi Bluffs
District Ranger.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Given the purpose and need for the proposal, the responsible
official will review the analyses of the proposed action and the
alternatives in order to make the following decisions: Whether or not
to release shade-intolerant oak, hickory and other hardwoods through
removal of overstory pine; whether or not to use site-preparation tools
to restore the native, hardwood-forest community; whether or not to
utilize a commercial timber sale to remove the pine trees; whether or
not to manage the forest-interior habitat and designated natural areas
in the project areas; whether or not to apply prescribed fire or
herbicides; whether or not to construct vernal ponds; and whether or
not to manage the project area transportation system with maintenance,
construction, or reconstruction.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process that will guide
development of the environmental impact statement for a project
implementing the Forest Plan; it is subject to the requirements of 36
CFR part 218, Subparts A and B--Project-Level Pre-decisional
Admnistrative Review Process. The initiation of the scoping period also
opens the ``designated opportunity for public comment'' on this
proposal, under 36 CFR part 218.5(a). This designated opportunity will
conclude at the end of the comment period for the draft environmental
impact statement.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation
of the environmental impact statement. Commenters who desire
eligibility to object during the pre-decisional administrative review
process must submit comments that meet the requirements of 36 CFR part
218.25. To be most helpful to the development of the environmental
impact statement, comments should be provided prior to the close of the
scoping period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns.
Scoping meetings will be scheduled with interested parties and
organizations following publication of this notice.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will
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be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments
submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however,
anonymous comments will not provide the agency with the ability to
provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents.
Dated: October 6, 2014.
Hurston A. Nicholas,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-24229 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P