[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39611-39612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18934]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Lolo National Forest; MT; Cedar-Thom EIS
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) on a proposal to implement restoration activities, fuel
reduction treatments, and recreation enhancements within the Cedar and
Thompson Creek drainages, Lolo National Forest, Superior Ranger
District, Mineral County, Montana.
This EIS will tier to the Lolo National Forest Plan Final EIS
(April 1986).
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by no later than 30 days from date of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
July 2010 and the final environmental impact statement is expected
March 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Cedar-Thom Project Leader, USDA
Forest Service, P.O. Box 429, Plains, Montana 59859. Comments may also
be sent via e-mail to: [email protected].
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Partyka, Project Leader, (406)
826-4314.
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:
[[Page 39612]]
Purpose and Need for Action
The Lolo National Forest Plan, 1986, provides overall guidance for
land management activities in the project area. The purposes of the
Cedar-Thom project are to: (1) Restore vegetative conditions that are
resistant to undesirable effects of fire, insects, disease, and
drought; (2) Reduce forest fuels in wildland urban interface (WUI) and
non-WUI areas and re-establish fire as a disturbance process on the
landscape; (3) Improve or maintain big game winter range; (4) Enhance
watershed health with improvements to fish habitat and stream function;
and (5) Enhance recreation opportunities and establish trail travel
management designations consistent with land management objectives.
Proposed Action
The Cedar-Thom project area of approximately 58,000 acres is
located southwest of Superior, Montana within TI5N, R27W; TI5N, R28W;
TI6N, R27W; TI6N, R28W; TI7N, R26W; T 1 7N, R27W, P.M.M. Within this
area, the Lolo National Forest proposes the following activities to
achieve the purpose and need for the project: (1) Timber harvest on
approximately 6758 acres; (2) non-commercial mechanical vegetation
treatments on about 2290 acres; (3) Prescribed burning on approximately
9550 acres; (4) temporary road construction (5 miles) and long-term
specified road construction (6 miles); (5) Road decommissioning (116
miles), road storage (9 miles), and gate closure (6 miles); (6) Culvert
replacements; (7) Restoration of selected stream segments; (8) Riparian
vegetation planting; (9) Removal of a 500-foot segment of historic
railroad grade that infringes on Cedar Creek; (10) Roadside weed
spraying; (11) Development of an 8-mile ATV trail using primarily
existing road prisms; (12) Construction of an equestrian trailhead for
the Thompson Creek trail (173); (13) Construction of a non-
motorized trail from Mink Peak to Lost Lake; and (14) Change the travel
management status on trails that are currently designated as both
motorized and non-motorized to non-motorized only.
If, after the completion of the environmental analysis and review
of public comments the Responsible Official decides to select an action
alternative, implementation could begin in 2012 and would continue for
several years.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Supervisor will decide whether to implement the proposed
action, take an alternative action that meets the purpose and need, or
take no action. The decision may include a site-specific amendment to
the Lolo National Forest Plan to allow approximately 215 acres of fuel
reduction treatments that would include the removal of commercial-sized
trees within Management Area 11, in which the Forest Plan limits tree
cutting to that required to eliminate safety hazards or permit trail
construction.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. Information on
the proposed action will be posted on the Forest Web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/rl/lolo/projects/.
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.
Dated: July 31, 2009.
Deborah L.R. Austin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. E9-18934 Filed 8-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M