[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55590-55591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23236]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest, California; Summit Fuels Reduction and
Forest Health Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Sequoia National Forest (SQF) is planning to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose
the environmental effects of implementing a fuels reduction and forest
health project within a 10,600 acre project analysis area. The Summit
Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project (Summit Project) will
encourage a healthy and diverse forest ecosystem that is more resilient
to the effects of wildfire, drought, disease, and other disturbances.
The Summit Project is located in the wildland-urban intermix (WUI) of
the Greenhorn Mountains on the Kern River Ranger District of Sequoia
National Forest, surrounding the Alta Sierra community in Kern County,
California. The Summit Project is located in Township 25 South, Ranges
31 and 32 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by September 16, 2015. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected January 2016 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected June 2016.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Kern River Ranger District,
Attention: Summit Comments, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238. Comments
may also be sent via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to (760) 376-3795.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Anderson, Kern River Ranger
District, P.O. Box 9 (105 Whitney Road), Kernville, CA 93238 at 760-
376-3781.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Rely 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 purpose of the project is to provide defensible space around
the community of Alta Sierra and nearby structures, improve forest
health and provide for ecological restoration. There is a need to
reduce fuels to protect the private properties of the Alta Sierra
community and adjacent forest special
[[Page 55591]]
uses including the recreation residence tracts of El Monte, Greenhorn
Summit, Kern Park, Shirley Meadows, Slick Rock, and Weeping Springs;
the Shirley Meadow ski resort; communication facilities at Cooks Peak;
and power transmission lines; as well as protecting the forest and
wildlife habitat from large-scale, severe wildfire effects. Fuels
reduction will provide forest and fuel structure that allows for safe
use of managed fire for resource benefit and forest health; and reduce
the risks to firefighting personnel and the public. There is a need to
restore the forest ecosystem by accelerating development of mature
forest conditions including large tree forest structure; by re-
introducing a fire regime that can be safely managed; by improving
wildlife habitat; shifting tree species composition towards historic
fire-and drought-adapted oak and pine dominance while reducing fire-
and drought-intolerant fir and cedar; and changing stand structure to
restore natural heterogeneity and resilience to disturbance events.
Sustained yield of timber and other forest by products remains as part
of the multiple-use mission of the Forest Service. However, fuels
reduction, ecological restoration and movement toward the desired
conditions identified in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment are
the driving influences that will dictate the end result, with an
emphasis on ``what is left behind'' rather than ``what is taken.''
Timber harvest may be used as a tool to improve efficiency and reduce
overall costs while moving the forest toward the desired conditions.
Proposed Action
The proposed action will create defensible space near communities
in the WUI defense zones; establish and maintain a pattern of area
treatments that can be effective in modifying wild fire behavior in the
WUI threat zones; and result in economically efficient treatments to
reduce hazardous fuels.
The Summit Project proposes a combination of prescribed fire, hand
or mechanical thinning to reduce ladder fuels and the potential for
crown fire while increasing forest resilience. Thinning may include
commercial timber harvest within the 2,500 acre proposed treatment
areas. It is expected that the timber sale volume would be less than
5,000 CCF. The proposed treatment areas include salvage harvest of
hazard trees of any size as well as dead and dying trees; commercial
harvest, using ground skidding, skyline or helicopter yarding of trees
smaller than 30 inches diameter at breast height (dbh); and hand
thinning, mastication, chipping or other fuels treatments. Treatments
will vary based on slopes, ground conditions, access and other factors.
Prescribed fire would be introduced within the project analysis area to
reduce surface fuels and promote natural regeneration. Areas selected
for thinning or mastication would favor Jeffrey and sugar pines, oak,
and other shade intolerant, fire and drought tolerant species, to
restore the historic species composition. Large snags and woody debris
would be strategically retained for wildlife habitat. Riparian areas
and meadows would be protected. Implementation would begin after
completion of the environmental review process, estimated in 2016, and
would be completed over a 5-10 year period.
Possible Alternatives
In addition to the proposed action, the EIS will evaluate a no
action alternative. An alternative will be developed that applies only
non-commercial treatments to achieve the purpose and need. The Draft
Interim Recommendations for the Management of California Spotted Owl
Habitat on National Forest System Lands 29 May 2015 will be included
and analyzed in an alternative as well. Other alternatives may be
identified through the interdisciplinary process and public
participation.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Alfred W. Watson, District Ranger,
Sequoia National Forest, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238.
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 with respect to the Summit Fuels Reduction and Forest Health
Project.
Scoping Process
This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the EIS. A public scoping meeting will be held on
Saturday, October 3, 2015 starting at 10 a.m. at Greenhorn Mountains
County Park on Old State Road in Alta Sierra. Detailed information on
the meeting and proposed action, including maps, are available on the
forest Web site at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=45951. This
project is included in the Sequoia National Forest's quarterly schedule
of proposed actions (SOPA).
This project will follow the objection procedures as directed by 36
CFR 218 (A) and (B). The objection process provides an opportunity for
members of the public who have commented during opportunities for
public participation to have any unresolved concerns receive an
independent review by the Forest Service prior to a final decision
being made by the responsible official. Only those who provided
specific written comments during opportunities for public comment are
eligible to file an objection.
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 the
names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public
record on 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: September 9, 2015.
Alfred W. Watson,
District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 2015-23236 Filed 9-15-15; 8:45 am]
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