[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 250 (Thursday, December 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69324-69325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30740]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 250 / Thursday, December 31, 2009 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Sparring Bulls EIS; Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln County, MT
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact
statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of commercial and
non-commercial vegetation management, prescribed burning, and watershed
improvement activities which include intermittent stored service work
or decommissioning of system roads. Access management changes and other
design features are also included to protect resources and facilitate
management activities. The project is located in the Lake and Spar
planning subunits on the Three Rivers Ranger District, Kootenai
National Forest, Lincoln County, Montana, south of Troy, Montana.
Scoping Comment Date
Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
within 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Comments should be mailed to: Mike Herrin; District Ranger, Three
Rivers Ranger District; 12858 U.S. Hwy 2; Troy, MT 59935, or e-mail:
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Timory Peel, Project Team
Leader, Three Rivers Ranger District, 12858 U.S. Hwy 2, Troy, MT 59935.
Phone: (406) 295-4693.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area is south of Troy, Montana,
in the Lake Creek watershed. The legal description includes Townships
28-31 North, Ranges 33-35 West, Lincoln County, Montana, and Township
57-58 North, Range 3 East, Bonner County, Idaho. The area supports many
species of wildlife and fish. Most of the project area is within the
Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery zone. A separate population of bull
trout inhabits the Lake Creek watershed.
The purpose and need for this project is to: (1) Contribute to the
supply of the timber in the area by recovering economically valuable
wood products using timber harvest strategies that: (a) Manage
characteristic vegetation patterns, stand structure, patch sizes, and
species composition, while reducing stand vulnerability to insects and
diseases; (b) Reduce existing fuel loadings and stand densities, and
promote fire resilient conditions to allow for future use of fire as a
management tool; and (c) Enhance visual resources as seen from critical
viewpoints. (2) Increase forage habitat for big-game and grizzly bears
using timber harvest and prescribed fire, including maintaining
huckleberry fields over time for wildlife forage and public use. (3)
Reduce hazardous ladder fuels, surface fuels, and canopy densities in
the vicinity of private property and associated access routes to
provide for public and firefighter safety. (4) Reduce sediment delivery
and risk of road failures in bull trout watersheds.
To meet this purpose and need this project proposes:
1. Approximately 700 acres of intermediate harvest and 710 acres of
regeneration harvest. Approximately half of the harvest would be
tractor yarded and half skyline yarded. This harvest would contribute
approximately 8 million board feet (MMBF) or 16 hundred cubic feet
(CCF) of timber products to the economy, and result in employment
associated with timber sales and service contracts. Unit 13, an 11-acre
unit, lies within the Cabinet Face West 670 Inventoried
Roadless Area (IRA), and is included in this proposal for urban
interface fuels reduction. This unit borders U.S. Highway 56 and is
adjacent to a restaurant and tavern, and several residences.
2. It is estimated that four temporary roads totaling less than one
mile would be utilized to accomplish this harvest and would be
obliterated following activities. Approximately 71 miles of haul road
would have State Best Management Practices applied for water quality
protection.
3. The size of harvest openings created by even-aged silvicultural
(regeneration harvest) in the Northern Region will be normally 40 acres
or less. Creation of larger openings requires 60-day public review and
Regional Forester approval (FSM 2471.1). There is potential that Units
12, 12A, and 14 would create an opening greater than 40 acres.
4. Fuels reduction along open travel routes is proposed on
approximately 216 acres. This includes approximately 207 acres of
slashing with hand piling and 9 acres of excavator piling.
5. Prescribed burning, is proposed on approximately 3,820 acres to
accentuate existing openings, with a Maximum Allowable Area of
approximately 8,016 identified to allow for some movement of fire
outside the ignition zone. Low to moderate intensity fire would be
expected within the ignition zones, with low intensity fire expected
outside that zone.
6. Approximately 40 miles of road would be stabilized to reduce
sediment delivery to streams. This includes removing wood/log or old
metal stream crossing structures, installing waterbars, and/or removing
unstable fill material. Of this 40 miles, approximately 36 miles were
identified in the Travel Analysis as needed for long-term management of
the National Forest so would be put in intermittent stored service;
approximately 4 miles identified as not needed would be decommissioned.
All road decommissioning and intermittent stored service work is
proposed on roads currently closed to motor vehicle access.
Coordination with recreational users (snowmobiles, mountain bikers,
hikers, and stock users) would be ongoing through analysis and
implementation to maintain popular access routes. These activities and
the Best Management Practices work will require an SPA 124/318 permit
from the Montana Department of Environment Quality and a Nationwide 404
Permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.
7. Design features and mitigations are included to maintain and
protect resource values.
Range of Alternatives
The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of
these will be the ``no action'' alternative in which none of the
proposed activities will be implemented. Preliminary analysis
identified two issues with the proposed
[[Page 69325]]
action: (1) Effects to Big Game Habitat and (2) Mechanical Equipment in
the IRA. An alternative responding to these issues would be included in
the analysis. Additional alternatives may be included to respond to the
scoping issues and other resource values.
Public Involvement and Scoping
The public is encouraged to take part in the process and to visit
with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and prior
to the decision. The Forest Service has sought and will continue
seeking information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and
local agencies, Tribal governments, and other individuals or
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed
action. It is expected that formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will occur for this project regarding the potential
impacts to endangered species. This input will be used in preparation
of the draft and final EIS. The scoping process includes:
1. Identifying potential issues.
2. Identifying major issues to be analyzed in depth.
3. Identifying alternatives to the proposed action.
4. Exploring additional alternatives that will be derived from
issues recognized during scoping activities.
5. Identifying potential environmental effects of this proposal
(i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and connected actions).
Estimated Dates for Filing
The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental
Protection agency (EPA) and to be available for public review in
February 2010. At that time EPA will publish a Notice of Availability
of the draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the
draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the Notice of
Availability in the Federal Register. It is very important that those
interested in the management of this area participate at that time.
The final EIS is scheduled to be completed in April 2010. In the
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and to applicable
laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision
regarding the proposal.
Reviewer's Obligations
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's
concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific
comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in subsequent
administrative review or judicial review. 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 respondent with
standing to participate in subsequent administrative review or judicial
review.
Responsible Official
Paul Bradford, Forest Supervisor of the Kootenai National Forest,
31374 U.S. Highway 2, Libby, MT 59923-3022, is the Responsible Official
for this project. The Responsible Official decides if the proposed
project will be implemented, and documents the decision and reasons for
the decision in the Record of Decision. The responsibility for
preparing the DEIS and FEIS is delegated to Mike Herrin, District
Ranger, Three Rivers Ranger District.
Dated: December 18, 2009.
C. Quinn Carver,
Acting for Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford, Kootenai National Forest.
[FR Doc. E9-30740 Filed 12-30-09; 8:45 am]
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