[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 110 (Friday, June 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26772-26773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11980]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 110 / Friday, June 9, 2017 /
Notices
[[Page 26772]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District; Minnesota;
Hi Lo Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Hi Lo Project. Proposed activities would manage
forest vegetation composition, structure, and spatial patterns, as well
as the transportation system associated with these activities.
Proposed vegetation activities include creating young forest,
improving stand conditions through uneven age management, and restoring
stand conditions through a variety of methods. Treatments are proposed
throughout the project area, including within three Forest Plan
Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRA) and two Roadless Area Conservation
Rule Areas (RACR). The proposal would include a project-specific Forest
Plan Amendment for prescribed burning within the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness (hereinafter Wilderness). The Amendment would
accommodate only those acres identified in the Wilderness necessary to
fulfill the purpose and need of the Hi Lo Project.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by July 10, 2017. The draft EIS is expected September 2017 and the
final EIS is expected January 2018.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Douglas Smith, Kawishiwi District
Ranger, Hi Lo Project EIS, 1393 Hwy. 169, Ely, MN 55731. Comments may
also be sent via email to [email protected]
or via facsimile to (218) 365-7605.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Merriman, Hi Lo Project Leader,
1393 Hwy. 169, Ely, MN 55731, telephone (218) 365-2095 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. The initial and modified proposed action documents can also be
found online: www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47208.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the Hi Lo Project is to move the area towards
vegetation and landscape ecosystem desired conditions described in the
2004 Superior National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
Specifically the project would promote and maintain long-term diverse,
productive, healthy plant communities and wildlife habitat; improve
conditions that minimize undesirable effects of wildfire; provide
sustainable forest products; increase recreation opportunities; and
manage the transportation system.
Proposed Action
The proposed action would move existing vegetation conditions
towards long-term desired composition, structure, and spatial patterns.
Healthy forested ecosystems are more resilient and able to recover more
quickly in the event of a wildfire or an insect and disease outbreak.
Proposed vegetation activities include creating young forest on
approximately 2,024 acres, improving stand conditions with harvest
(uneven age) on 3,613 acres, restoring stand conditions through release
(non-harvest), browse shearing, timber stand improvement, and
prescribed burning.
To accomplish the purpose and need, a landscape approach was used
to strategically determine where proposed actions should take place.
Treatments are proposed throughout the project area, including
harvesting 1,362 acres within Big Lake and Agassa Lake IRAs. There is
172 acres of prescribed burning proposed within the Hegman Lakes RACR
area and 2,589 acres of prescribed burning proposed within the three
IRAs (Big Lake IRA, Agassa Lake IRA, and North Arm Burntside Lake IRA).
To protect residences and summer camps outside the Wilderness, and to
reduce risk to firefighters, prescribed burning is proposed on 1,314
acres inside the Wilderness.
The project also proposes to increase recreation opportunities by
creating new trails, providing road access to other ownerships, and
promoting moose and other wildlife habitat by improving lowland sedge
areas and oak-blueberry sites.
The proposed action was modified from that originally scoped in
August 2016 to account for changed conditions caused by a blowdown
event. Further information on the modified proposed action is available
at the HiLo Project Web page: www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47208.
Possible Alternatives
Possible alternatives include the no-action alternative,
alternative 2 (modified from the proposed action which initially went
out for scoping in August 2016), and alternative 3 (modifying, reducing
or removing treatment acres within certain areas, such as Wilderness
and roadless).
Administrative Objection
The Hi Lo Project is an activity implementing a land management
plan and is not authorized under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act;
therefore, the Hi Lo Project decision is subject to objections
following Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B.
Since the Forest Plan Amendment applies only to the Hi Lo Project, it
is subject to the same project objection review process. Only
individuals or organizations who submit timely and specific written
comments, as defined at 36 CFR 218.2, regarding the proposed project
are eligible to file an objection to the Hi Lo Project.
In addition to serving as a scoping opportunity, this time period
will serve as a designated opportunity for public comment that may
provide a commenter with eligibility to object to the proposed project
under 36 CFR part 218. Comments are most useful when they are specific
to the proposed actions and if received within 30 days from the date of
publication in the Federal Register. An additional public comment
period will be held once the Draft EIS is complete and comments
submitted during that public comment period
[[Page 26773]]
would also provide the commenter with eligibility to object.
Responsible Official
Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
An Environmental Impact Statement for the Hi Lo Project will
evaluate site-specific issues, consider management alternatives, and
analyze potential effects of the proposed action and alternatives. This
analysis will include the project specific Forest Plan Amendment needed
to conduct prescribed burning in the Wilderness. The scope of the
project is limited to decisions concerning activities within the Hi Lo
Project Area that meet the purpose and need. An Environmental Impact
Statement will provide the responsible official with the information
needed to decide which actions, if any, to approve.
Preliminary Issues
Issues identified during the original scoping period (August 2016)
included prescribed burning in the Wilderness, harvesting within Forest
Plan IRAs, blowdown, site-specific vegetation management, and
associated temporary road construction.
Permits or Licenses Required
Easement or permission to cross nonfederal property may be needed
to access some treatment units to implement Forest Service activities.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the Environmental Impact Statement. This will be the
initial scoping to include a project-level Forest Plan Amendment in the
EIS. The previously scoped proposed action (August 2016) guided us to
initiate an EIS and Forest Plan Amendment.
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, anonymous comments will not provide
the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
Dated: May 26, 2017.
Glenn P. Casamassa,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2017-11980 Filed 6-8-17; 8:45 am]
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