Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District, Walla Walla, WA; Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project, 5941-5943 [2010-2505]
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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices
Estimated Number of Respondents:
25.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
200.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 8.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 646 hours.
Progress Reports are required at the
midpoint of projects approved for one
year and at six-month intervals for
projects of longer duration. Progress
Reports should (1) briefly summarize
activities performed and milestones
achieved for each objective or subelement of the narrative; (2) note
unexpected delays or impediments as
well as favorable or unusual
developments; (3) outline work to be
performed during the succeeding
period; and (4) indicate the amount of
grant and matching funds expended to
date. We expect that grantees will
submit a total of two Progress Reports
during the grant period.
Estimate of Burden: The public
reporting burden for two Progress
Reports is estimated to average 14 hours
per response.
Respondents: State departments of
agriculture, State agricultural
experiment stations, and other
appropriate State Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
25.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
50.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 700 hours.
Not later than 90 days following the
ending date of the Grant Agreement the
grantee must submit Standard Form
425, Federal Financial Report (approved
under OMB #0348–0061), to document
the final financial status of the grant
project and to indicate that the one-toone matching requirement has been met.
In the past, grantees used Standard
Form 269A (or Standard Form 269 if the
grant involved program income) to
document the final financial activity of
the grant. Standard Forms 269A and 269
were discontinued by OMB as of
October 1, 2009. AMS has determined
that a new form, Standard Form 425
(OMB Approval Number 0348–0061), is
an acceptable replacement that will
allow grantees to report the final
financial activity of the grant. The
public reporting burden for Standard
Form 425 is estimated to average 1.5
hours per response, which is the same
as the reporting burden for Standard
Form 269A.
The grantee must also submit a Final
Report of results and accomplishments
within 90 days following the grant
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:26 Feb 04, 2010
Jkt 220001
ending date. The Final Report will
include:
• An outline of the issue or problem.
• A description of how the issue or
problem was approached via the project.
• A description of the contribution of
public or private agency cooperators.
• A description of results,
conclusions and lessons learned.
• A summary of current or future
benefits to be derived from the project.
• Additional information available
(publications, Web sites).
• Recommendations for future
research needed, if applicable.
• A description of the project
beneficiaries.
• The contact person for the project
with telephone number and e-mail
address.
Estimate of Burden: The public
reporting burden for completing
Standard Form 425 and the Final Report
is estimated to average 16.78 hours per
response.
Respondents: State departments of
agriculture, State agricultural
experiment stations, and other
appropriate State agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
25.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
50.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 838 hours.
In accordance with 7 CFR 3016.42,
grantees are required to maintain all
financial and programmatic records,
supporting documents, statistical
records, and other records of grantees or
sub-grantees for a period of three years
from the day the grantee submits the
final financial report.
Estimate of Burden: The public
reporting burden for maintaining
required records relating to the grant is
estimated to average 1 hour per
response.
Respondents: State departments of
agriculture, State agricultural
experiment stations, and other
appropriate State agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
25.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
25.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 25 hours.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
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5941
proposed collection of information
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Janise
Zygmont, FSMIP Staff Officer, USDA,
AMS, 1800 M Street, NW., Room 3002–
South Tower, Washington, DC 20036.
All comments received will be available
for public inspection during regular
business hours at the same address.
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
Dated: February 2, 2010.
Rayne Pegg,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–2543 Filed 2–4–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla
Ranger District, Walla Walla, WA;
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels
Reduction Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will
prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to disclose
environmental effects on proposed
resource management actions in Cobbler
II project planning area. This project
would improve the health, vigor, and
resilience to fire, insects, and disease in
upland forest stands that are outside
their historical pre-fire conditions for
species composition, structural
diversity, stocking densities, and fuel
loads. The project planning area is
approximately 34,000 acres in size.
Proposed project activities consist of
commercial timber harvest, including
treatment of activity and natural fuels
within harvest units, temporary road
construction (that will be
decommissioned after project use), new
road construction, danger tree removal
along haul routes, non-commercial
thinning, hardwood restoration,
meadow restoration, and landscape
prescribed burning.
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5942
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by
February 26, 2010. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected to be available in April 2010
and the final environmental impact
statement in July 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Mike Rassbach, District Ranger, Walla
Walla Ranger District, 1415 West Rose
Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362.
Comments may also be sent via e-mail
to comments-pacificnorthwest-umatillawallawalla@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to
(509) 522–6000. Comments may be hand
delivered to the Walla Walla Ranger
District office between the hours of 8
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Betsy Kaiser, Project Team Leader,
Walla Walla Ranger District, telephone
(509) 522–6290 or e-mail
bkaiser@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information—An
environmental assessment (EA) for
Cobbler Timber Sale and Fuels
Reduction Project was prepared by the
Forest Service and issued to the public
in May 2009. A decision notice and
finding of no significant impact for the
May 2009 EA was signed by the
responsible official, Kevin Martin,
Umatilla National Forest Supervisor, on
May 18, 2009. This decision was
appealed, and on July 29, 2009,
Supervisor Martin sent a memo to the
Regional Forester to withdraw his May
18th decision.
After the withdrawal of the decision,
the Forest Service decided to initiate the
Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels
Reduction Project environmental
assessment (EA) and scoped with a
letter dated November 20, 2009, and
comment letters were received. Since
that scoping letter was mailed, the
Forest Service has decided to issue an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for this project. The project file for the
May 2009 EA and the Cobbler II EA will
be incorporated in the Cobbler II EIS.
Information regarding the May 2009
Cobbler EA documents and the Cobbler
II EA scoping letter are available for
review at the following Web site
address: https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/
projects/readroom/.
Project Information—Cobbler II
project planning area is primarily
located in Wallowa County and a small
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Jkt 220001
portion in Union County, Oregon within
portions of T. 4N., R. 40E., sections 1,
2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15; T.5 N.,
R.40 E., sections 1, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24,
25, 26, 34, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36; T. 4N.,
R. 41E., sections 5, 6, 7, and 18; T. 5N.,
R. 41E., sections 1 to 34; T. 5N., R. 42E.,
sections 4, 5, 6, and 7; T. 6N., R. 41E.,
sections 25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36;
and T. 6N., R. 42E., sections 29, 30, 31,
32, 33, and 34. It is in the Lower Grande
Ronde subbasin, within the Grande
Ronde River and Wenaha Watersheds.
Cobbler II project planning area is
bounded by the Wenaha-Tucannon
Wilderness to the north and west and
the Grande Ronde River to the
southeast. Grande Ronde River has been
designated as a Wild and Scenic River
by the Omnibus Oregon Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act of 1988, and the
segment bordering the project planning
area has been designated as wild. The
town of Elgin, Oregon, is approximately
20 miles to the southwest. Troy and
Eden Bench Wildland Urban Interface
(WUI) areas are approximately 5 miles
east of the project planning area, and are
identified in the Wallowa County
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
(CWPP). A portion (approximately 7,700
acres) of the Grande Ronde inventoried
roadless area (IRA) is within the project
planning area.
Purpose and Need for Action—The
purpose and need for action in this
project is to improve health, vigor, and
resilience to fire, insects, and disease in
upland forests that are outside their
historical pre-fire suppression
conditions for species composition,
structural diversity, stocking densities,
and fuel loads. Additionally, there is a
need to provide sawlogs and wood fiber
products for utilization by regional and
local industry.
Forest stands in the project planning
area have been altered from historical
conditions due to fire suppression and
past forest management practices. A
majority of current forest stands
originated as a result of fire disturbances
occurring over one hundred years ago,
and they have not experienced fire since
then. There have been repeated insect
defoliation episodes followed by salvage
harvest. Lodgepole pine stands have
been harvested, and the remaining
mature stands in the project planning
area are at the age to be highly
susceptible to mountain pine beetle,
which is currently experiencing an
increasing population. Late seral tree
species have become dominant after
long periods without disturbance and
generally are more susceptible to
disturbance-caused mortality than early
seral species. Forest stands have become
overstocked and are above
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recommended stocking levels that
would maintain stand growth and vigor.
Timber stands of seral tree species such
as western larch and ponderosa pine are
infilling with grand fir.
Findings from the historical range of
variability (HRV) analysis for Eastside
Screens show that old forest structure is
within historical range for moist forest
biophysical group, but outside of
historical range for dry forest
biophysical group in old forest single
stratum (OFSS) structural stage.
Proposed Action—Following are brief
descriptions of activities proposed for
implementation, along with associated
activities that would occur
concurrently.
Timber Harvest—Commercially
harvest approximately 2,500 acres. In
some treatment units timber harvest
would include the removal of sawlogs
and small diameter trees in the 3–9 inch
diameter at breast height (DBH) range
which would be used as a woody
biomass product. In some treatment
units only biomass products would be
removed with incidental removal of
sawlogs. Commercial thinning is the
primary silviculture prescription with
some shelterwood and seed-tree
prescriptions used in decadent stands
where thinning would not restore
growth or vigor. Harvest objectives
would vary by stand condition and fuel
management objectives. Treatments
would tend to favor early seral tree
species such as ponderosa pine and
western larch. Harvest methods would
include conventional ground based
(approximately 380 acres) logging, using
a harvester/forwarder (approximately
1,830 acres), and skyline logging
(approximately 230 acres).
Fuel Treatments (activity and
natural)—Activity fuels and existing
natural fuels would be treated in harvest
units. Treatments would include
mechanical mastication, grapple piling,
hand piling, jackpot burning, and
yarding with tops attached depending
on slash loads and the amount of fire
sensitive species remaining after
harvest. Mastication would be used to
treat both activity fuels and remaining
ladder fuels when small diameter
understory is removed for woody
biomass products (3–9 inch DBH) and a
high density of understory trees still
remains. Hand piling would be used in
portions of units where visual quality is
a concern, mainly along Forest Road
(FR) 62.
Road Management—To accomplish
implementation of proposed activities,
approximately 50 miles of open system
roads, about 40 miles of closed system
roads, and 1.5 miles of seasonally open
roads would be used as haul routes. Of
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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 24 / Friday, February 5, 2010 / Notices
the open system roads approximately 14
miles are outside of the project planning
area and represent haul routes to county
roads. Closed system roads used for
project activities would not be opened
to the public. All system roads would
remain the same after project
implementation; open roads would
remain opened, closed roads would
continue to be closed, and seasonally
open roads would continue with that
designation. Approximately 0.25 miles
of new road construction would occur
to access an activity unit and be used for
future access for vegetation and fuels
treatments. This new construction
would become a closed system road
after project use. Approximately 0.20
miles of temporary road construction
would occur and would be
decommissioned after project activity
use. Normal routine road maintenance
would occur.
Danger Tree Removal—Danger trees
would be felled and removed along all
previously described haul routes used
for timber sale activity. If considered
economically feasible, they would be
sold as part of a timber sale. Danger
trees within Riparian Habitat
Conservation Areas (RHCAs) would not
be removed; they would be cut and left
to provide additional coarse woody
debris.
Landscape Prescribed Fire—
Landscape prescribed fire would occur
across approximately 8,000 acres within
the Grande Ronde River canyon. No
timber harvest or mechanical fuel
treatments would occur in these
canyons. This treatment would
reintroduce fire to a fire-dependent
ecosystem blackening about 60 percent
of the area to lessen the impact of a
future uncharacteristic wildfire and
improve forage quality for big game. In
the majority of the project area, fire
intensities would be kept low by
keeping fire out of the overstory and
burning mainly surface fuels. This
activity would occur in almost all of the
acres of the Grande Ronde inventoried
roadless area (IRA) that are within the
project planning area.
Hardwood Restoration—Twenty-three
hardwood sites (aspen, black
cottonwood, and mountain mahogany)
totaling about 115 acres are proposed for
treatment that includes release from
conifers and fencing of these sites.
Reduction of conifer competition in
some aspen stands would be achieved
by girdling trees or cutting and leaving
the trees on site. Most of these stands
have only mature or over-mature
hardwood trees with little or no
regeneration, or regeneration that is
being severely browsed. Fencing would
occur at these 23 hardwood sites.
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16:26 Feb 04, 2010
Jkt 220001
Meadow Restoration—An estimated
275 acres of dry meadows would be
treated to reduce conifer encroachment.
Trees less than or equal to 6 inches DBH
would be cut by hand followed by a
prescribed underburn through the grass.
Non-commercial Thinning—This
activity would cut excess trees that are
less than 6 inches DBH on
approximately 1,900 acres. Some units
may have special conditions where trees
up to 9 inches DBH would be cut. Either
manual or mechanical methods would
be use.
Forest Plan Amendment—In order to
manage aspen stands in the project
planning area, the Forest Plan would be
amended to reallocate acres in
management area allocations of D2–
Research Natural Area, E2–Timber and
Big Game, and A9–Special Interest Area.
Elk Flats Meadow (D2), which is
currently a proposed candidate for
designation as a Research Natural Area
(RNA), would be reallocated to
management area A9–Special Interest
Area in order to allow vegetation
management, including cutting of trees,
to maintain or enhance existing aspen
and encourage aspen regeneration. In
summary, approximately 70 acres of
management area D2 (Elk Flats
Meadow) would become management
area A9; approximately 30 acres of
management area E2 would become
management area A9, and
approximately 10 acres of management
area D2 would become management
area E2. This amendment would remain
in effect until the current Forest Plan is
revised.
Possible Alternatives—An alternative
that would have fewer impacts on elk
cover and/or old forest habitat was
identified for this project. Commercial
harvest would occur on approximately
1,300 acres using the same silviculture
prescriptions and harvest methods. No
timber harvest would occur in old forest
stands or in areas of satisfactory cover.
All other activities would remain the
same but would occur on fewer acres.
Another alternative identified would be
to take no action at this time in the
project planning area.
Responsible Official
Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor,
Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W.
Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, Oregon
97801.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether to
approve the proposed action or any
alternative way to achieve the desired
outcome. A Forest Plan amendment is
proposed.
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5943
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
development of an EIS for the Cobbler
II project and seeks any additional
scoping comments not previously
submitted. The comment period begins
on the date of publication of this notice
of intent and ends on February 26, 2010.
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.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
comments. The submission of timely
and specific comments can affect a
reviewer’s ability to participate in
subsequent administrative appeal 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 appeal or
judicial review.
Dated: February 1, 2010.
Kevin Martin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010–2505 Filed 2–4–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting
of the Utah Advisory Committee
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to
the provisions of the rules and
regulations of the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights and the regulations of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA), that a meeting of the Utah
Advisory Committee will convene at
5:30 p.m. and adjourn at 8 p.m. (MST)
on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the
451 South State Street, Salt Lake City,
UT 84111. The purpose of the meeting
is for the committee to discuss recent
Commission and regional activities,
discuss current civil rights issues in the
state and plan future activities. The
Committee will also be briefed on
education issues affecting minority
students as it prepares to select a project
topic.
Members of the public are entitled to
submit written comments; the
comments must be received in the
regional office by March 25, 2010. The
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5941-5943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2505]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District, Walla
Walla, WA; Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to disclose environmental effects on proposed resource
management actions in Cobbler II project planning area. This project
would improve the health, vigor, and resilience to fire, insects, and
disease in upland forest stands that are outside their historical pre-
fire conditions for species composition, structural diversity, stocking
densities, and fuel loads. The project planning area is approximately
34,000 acres in size. Proposed project activities consist of commercial
timber harvest, including treatment of activity and natural fuels
within harvest units, temporary road construction (that will be
decommissioned after project use), new road construction, danger tree
removal along haul routes, non-commercial thinning, hardwood
restoration, meadow restoration, and landscape prescribed burning.
[[Page 5942]]
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by February 26, 2010. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected to be available in April 2010 and the final environmental
impact statement in July 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mike Rassbach, District Ranger,
Walla Walla Ranger District, 1415 West Rose Street, Walla Walla, WA
99362. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to comments-pacificnorthwest-umatilla-wallawalla@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to
(509) 522-6000. Comments may be hand delivered to the Walla Walla
Ranger District office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Kaiser, Project Team Leader,
Walla Walla Ranger District, telephone (509) 522-6290 or e-mail
bkaiser@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information--An environmental assessment (EA) for
Cobbler Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project was prepared by the
Forest Service and issued to the public in May 2009. A decision notice
and finding of no significant impact for the May 2009 EA was signed by
the responsible official, Kevin Martin, Umatilla National Forest
Supervisor, on May 18, 2009. This decision was appealed, and on July
29, 2009, Supervisor Martin sent a memo to the Regional Forester to
withdraw his May 18th decision.
After the withdrawal of the decision, the Forest Service decided to
initiate the Cobbler II Timber Sale and Fuels Reduction Project
environmental assessment (EA) and scoped with a letter dated November
20, 2009, and comment letters were received. Since that scoping letter
was mailed, the Forest Service has decided to issue an environmental
impact statement (EIS) for this project. The project file for the May
2009 EA and the Cobbler II EA will be incorporated in the Cobbler II
EIS. Information regarding the May 2009 Cobbler EA documents and the
Cobbler II EA scoping letter are available for review at the following
Web site address: https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/projects/readroom/.
Project Information--Cobbler II project planning area is primarily
located in Wallowa County and a small portion in Union County, Oregon
within portions of T. 4N., R. 40E., sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12,
14, and 15; T.5 N., R.40 E., sections 1, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26,
34, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36; T. 4N., R. 41E., sections 5, 6, 7, and 18;
T. 5N., R. 41E., sections 1 to 34; T. 5N., R. 42E., sections 4, 5, 6,
and 7; T. 6N., R. 41E., sections 25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36; and T.
6N., R. 42E., sections 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. It is in the Lower
Grande Ronde subbasin, within the Grande Ronde River and Wenaha
Watersheds.
Cobbler II project planning area is bounded by the Wenaha-Tucannon
Wilderness to the north and west and the Grande Ronde River to the
southeast. Grande Ronde River has been designated as a Wild and Scenic
River by the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1988, and the
segment bordering the project planning area has been designated as
wild. The town of Elgin, Oregon, is approximately 20 miles to the
southwest. Troy and Eden Bench Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas are
approximately 5 miles east of the project planning area, and are
identified in the Wallowa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
(CWPP). A portion (approximately 7,700 acres) of the Grande Ronde
inventoried roadless area (IRA) is within the project planning area.
Purpose and Need for Action--The purpose and need for action in
this project is to improve health, vigor, and resilience to fire,
insects, and disease in upland forests that are outside their
historical pre-fire suppression conditions for species composition,
structural diversity, stocking densities, and fuel loads. Additionally,
there is a need to provide sawlogs and wood fiber products for
utilization by regional and local industry.
Forest stands in the project planning area have been altered from
historical conditions due to fire suppression and past forest
management practices. A majority of current forest stands originated as
a result of fire disturbances occurring over one hundred years ago, and
they have not experienced fire since then. There have been repeated
insect defoliation episodes followed by salvage harvest. Lodgepole pine
stands have been harvested, and the remaining mature stands in the
project planning area are at the age to be highly susceptible to
mountain pine beetle, which is currently experiencing an increasing
population. Late seral tree species have become dominant after long
periods without disturbance and generally are more susceptible to
disturbance-caused mortality than early seral species. Forest stands
have become overstocked and are above recommended stocking levels that
would maintain stand growth and vigor. Timber stands of seral tree
species such as western larch and ponderosa pine are infilling with
grand fir.
Findings from the historical range of variability (HRV) analysis
for Eastside Screens show that old forest structure is within
historical range for moist forest biophysical group, but outside of
historical range for dry forest biophysical group in old forest single
stratum (OFSS) structural stage.
Proposed Action--Following are brief descriptions of activities
proposed for implementation, along with associated activities that
would occur concurrently.
Timber Harvest--Commercially harvest approximately 2,500 acres. In
some treatment units timber harvest would include the removal of
sawlogs and small diameter trees in the 3-9 inch diameter at breast
height (DBH) range which would be used as a woody biomass product. In
some treatment units only biomass products would be removed with
incidental removal of sawlogs. Commercial thinning is the primary
silviculture prescription with some shelterwood and seed-tree
prescriptions used in decadent stands where thinning would not restore
growth or vigor. Harvest objectives would vary by stand condition and
fuel management objectives. Treatments would tend to favor early seral
tree species such as ponderosa pine and western larch. Harvest methods
would include conventional ground based (approximately 380 acres)
logging, using a harvester/forwarder (approximately 1,830 acres), and
skyline logging (approximately 230 acres).
Fuel Treatments (activity and natural)--Activity fuels and existing
natural fuels would be treated in harvest units. Treatments would
include mechanical mastication, grapple piling, hand piling, jackpot
burning, and yarding with tops attached depending on slash loads and
the amount of fire sensitive species remaining after harvest.
Mastication would be used to treat both activity fuels and remaining
ladder fuels when small diameter understory is removed for woody
biomass products (3-9 inch DBH) and a high density of understory trees
still remains. Hand piling would be used in portions of units where
visual quality is a concern, mainly along Forest Road (FR) 62.
Road Management--To accomplish implementation of proposed
activities, approximately 50 miles of open system roads, about 40 miles
of closed system roads, and 1.5 miles of seasonally open roads would be
used as haul routes. Of
[[Page 5943]]
the open system roads approximately 14 miles are outside of the project
planning area and represent haul routes to county roads. Closed system
roads used for project activities would not be opened to the public.
All system roads would remain the same after project implementation;
open roads would remain opened, closed roads would continue to be
closed, and seasonally open roads would continue with that designation.
Approximately 0.25 miles of new road construction would occur to access
an activity unit and be used for future access for vegetation and fuels
treatments. This new construction would become a closed system road
after project use. Approximately 0.20 miles of temporary road
construction would occur and would be decommissioned after project
activity use. Normal routine road maintenance would occur.
Danger Tree Removal--Danger trees would be felled and removed along
all previously described haul routes used for timber sale activity. If
considered economically feasible, they would be sold as part of a
timber sale. Danger trees within Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas
(RHCAs) would not be removed; they would be cut and left to provide
additional coarse woody debris.
Landscape Prescribed Fire--Landscape prescribed fire would occur
across approximately 8,000 acres within the Grande Ronde River canyon.
No timber harvest or mechanical fuel treatments would occur in these
canyons. This treatment would reintroduce fire to a fire-dependent
ecosystem blackening about 60 percent of the area to lessen the impact
of a future uncharacteristic wildfire and improve forage quality for
big game. In the majority of the project area, fire intensities would
be kept low by keeping fire out of the overstory and burning mainly
surface fuels. This activity would occur in almost all of the acres of
the Grande Ronde inventoried roadless area (IRA) that are within the
project planning area.
Hardwood Restoration--Twenty-three hardwood sites (aspen, black
cottonwood, and mountain mahogany) totaling about 115 acres are
proposed for treatment that includes release from conifers and fencing
of these sites. Reduction of conifer competition in some aspen stands
would be achieved by girdling trees or cutting and leaving the trees on
site. Most of these stands have only mature or over-mature hardwood
trees with little or no regeneration, or regeneration that is being
severely browsed. Fencing would occur at these 23 hardwood sites.
Meadow Restoration--An estimated 275 acres of dry meadows would be
treated to reduce conifer encroachment. Trees less than or equal to 6
inches DBH would be cut by hand followed by a prescribed underburn
through the grass.
Non-commercial Thinning--This activity would cut excess trees that
are less than 6 inches DBH on approximately 1,900 acres. Some units may
have special conditions where trees up to 9 inches DBH would be cut.
Either manual or mechanical methods would be use.
Forest Plan Amendment--In order to manage aspen stands in the
project planning area, the Forest Plan would be amended to reallocate
acres in management area allocations of D2-Research Natural Area, E2-
Timber and Big Game, and A9-Special Interest Area. Elk Flats Meadow
(D2), which is currently a proposed candidate for designation as a
Research Natural Area (RNA), would be reallocated to management area
A9-Special Interest Area in order to allow vegetation management,
including cutting of trees, to maintain or enhance existing aspen and
encourage aspen regeneration. In summary, approximately 70 acres of
management area D2 (Elk Flats Meadow) would become management area A9;
approximately 30 acres of management area E2 would become management
area A9, and approximately 10 acres of management area D2 would become
management area E2. This amendment would remain in effect until the
current Forest Plan is revised.
Possible Alternatives--An alternative that would have fewer impacts
on elk cover and/or old forest habitat was identified for this project.
Commercial harvest would occur on approximately 1,300 acres using the
same silviculture prescriptions and harvest methods. No timber harvest
would occur in old forest stands or in areas of satisfactory cover. All
other activities would remain the same but would occur on fewer acres.
Another alternative identified would be to take no action at this time
in the project planning area.
Responsible Official
Kevin Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517
S.W. Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, Oregon 97801.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The decision to be made is whether to approve the proposed action
or any alternative way to achieve the desired outcome. A Forest Plan
amendment is proposed.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the development of an EIS for the
Cobbler II project and seeks any additional scoping comments not
previously submitted. The comment period begins on the date of
publication of this notice of intent and ends on February 26, 2010. 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. Therefore, comments should be provided
prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate
the reviewer's concerns and comments. The submission of timely and
specific comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in
subsequent administrative appeal 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 appeal or judicial review.
Dated: February 1, 2010.
Kevin Martin,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-2505 Filed 2-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
