Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, Chelan County, WA, 69308-69310 [05-22595]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69308-69310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22595]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project, Okanogan-Wenatchee 
National Forests, Chelan County, WA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on a site-specific proposal to improve forest health 
and sustainability on National Forest lands in the Natapoc Mountain 
area of the Wenatchee River Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee 
National Forests. The proposal will include a variety of vegetative 
treatments and road management actions, as further described in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Approximately 4,588 acres 
would be treated in the proposed project area.
    The analysis area is located within the Wenatchee River watershed 
near Plain, Washington, approximately 12 miles north of the city of 
Leavenworth. It is generally bounded by U.S. Highway 2 and State 
Highway 207 to the west, and the Wenatchee River to the north, east and 
west, and includes parts of the following townships: T27N, R17E; T26N, 
R17E; and T25N, R17E., Williamette Meridian.
    The proposal is designed to meet the following needs: (1) Promote 
the restoration of forest structure, composition, and age class 
distribution, to a more sustainable condition; (2) reduce the risks 
from wildfire, insects, and disease to late-successional habitat in the 
Deadhorse Late Successional Reserve and Natapoc Managed Late 
Successional Area; and (3) reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland-
urban interface, particularly in areas adjacent to private property. 
The direction in the Wenatchee National Forest Land and Resource 
Management Plan (1990), as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan (1994; 
2004), provides the overall guidance for management of this area.
    Activities would be implemented between 2006 and approximately 2016 
by a combination of private contracting, Forest Service personnel, 
cooperative agreements, and volunteers.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by December 14, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to James L. Boynton, Forest 
Supervisor, c/o Vaughan Marable, District Ranger, Wenatchee River 
Ranger District, 600 Sherbourne, Leavenworth, Washington 98826, Attn: 
Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project. Comments may be mailed 
electronically to comments_wenatchee_river@fs.fed.us. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for file formats and other 
information about electronic filing of comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Willet, Natapoc Project Leader, 
USDA Forest Service, Wenatchee River Ranger District, 600 Sherbourne, 
Leavenworth, Washington 98826; phone 509-548-6977, Ext. 288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for action in the project area is to promote 
the restoration of forest structure, composition, and age class 
distribution, to a more sustainable condition. Fire exclusion and 
timber harvest over the last 100 years have dramatically changed these 
forest components. Stand densities and fuel accumulations are 
abnormally high and at risk of uncharacteristic stand replacement 
wildfire. Fire exclusion and past timber harvest have also altered 
forest composition by increasing the fire intolerant species while 
decreasing the fire tolerant species. The number of host trees 
susceptible to disease or insect attack has increased. The proposed 
action is needed to reduce the risk of large scale, uncharacteristic 
wildfire and improve forest health.
    In dry forest types within the project area, the objective is to 
promote open stands of large ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. In mesic 
forest types of the project area, the objective is to promote a mosiac 
of diverse stand structures, spatially isolating crown-fire prone 
stands. Within the Deadhorse Late Successional Reserve and Natapoc 
Managed Late Successional Area, the purpose and need is to reduce the 
risk to late-successional habitat from wildfire, insects and disease. 
The Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project would also reduce 
hazardous fuels within the wildland-urban interface, especially in 
areas adjacent to private property, to provide access and increase 
safety for firefighters and the public.
    The Forest Service has successfully implemented similar restoration 
projects in the Fish Lake and Natapoc Ridge area since the early 1990s. 
This proposal is a continuation of those efforts.

Proposed Action

    The proposed Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project would include 
the following activities:

--Commercial thinning of overstocked stands to improve tree vigor, 
reduce ladder and crown fuels, and favor the retention of large healthy 
Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. Various combinations of underburning, 
hand piling/pile burning, and top/limb yarding would be used to reduce 
both activity and existing fuels.
--Non-commercial thinning and some pruning of small trees to improve 
vigor, reduce ladder and crown fuels, and favor desired species. 
Treatment areas would mostly occur in 15+ year old plantations.
--Regeneration harvest of selected stands that are currently unstable 
due to insect and disease infestations. Usually, all but 5 to 10 large, 
healthy trees would be cut in these areas. Areas would be replanted 
with desired tree species.
--Ladder and surface fuel reduction through pruning or cutting of low 
hanging limbs and small trees up to 6 to 7 inches in diameter in order 
to reduce potential surface fire intensity and to prevent tree 
torching.

[[Page 69309]]

--Underburning of selected areas to reduce ladder fuels and accumulated 
surface fuels.
--Closure of portions of the existing open roads to motorized vehicles 
in order to reduce overall road mileage in the project area.
--Noxious weed prevention and control through use of manual, cultural, 
and/or chemical control methods.

    Proposed logging systems would include helicopter, ground-based 
over snow, and/or skyline cable systems. Access for treatments could 
require construction of approximately 15.2 miles of temporary new road, 
reconstruction of approximately 1.7 miles of existing permanent roads, 
and reopening of approximately 16.8 miles of existing closed roads. All 
new, reconstructed, and reopened roads would be closed after completion 
of project activities. In addition, approximately 8.0 miles of existing 
open roads are proposed to be closed after completion of project 
activities.
    The proposed action also includes a minor amendment of the 1990 
Wenatchee Forest Plan to clarify standards and guidlines for 
intermediate harvest in the Classified Special Area (SI-2) land 
allocation.
    The Natapoc Ridge Forest Restoration Project was prompted by the 
1996 Nason Creek Watershed Analysis, the 1999 Mainstem Wenatchee River 
Watershed Analysis, and the 2004 Forest Health Assessment for the 
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. A number of strategies were 
suggested that would begin moving areas of the watershed back to the 
desired condition. This proposed action is intended to carry out some 
of these strategies within the Natapoc portion of the watershed.

Possible Alternatives

    A full range of alternatives will be considered, including a No 
Action Alternative, in which none of the activities proposed above 
would be implemented. Based on the issues gathered during scoping, the 
action alternatives would differ in (1) the silvicultural treatments 
prescribed; (2) the type, amount and location of harvest; (3) the 
amount and location of fuels reduction activities; and (4) the 
proposals for road management, including road closures and new 
construction.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official is James L. Boynton, Forest Supervisor, 
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, 
Washington 98801. The Responsible Official will document the Natapoc 
Ridge Forest Restoration Project decision and reasons for the decision 
in a Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest 
Service appeal regulations (36 CFR part 215).

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide which, if any, of the proposed 
activities will be implemented, including the type, extent, and 
location of vegetative treatments to carry out on National Forest 
System lands within the project area, and management of the associated 
road system. The decision regarding which combination of actions to 
implement will be determined by comparing how each factor of the 
project purpose and need is met by each of the alternatives and the 
manner in which each alternative responds to the key issues raised and 
public comments received during the analysis.

Scoping Process

    Public participation will be sought at several points during the 
analysis, including listing of this project in the Fall 2005 and 
subsequent issues of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests Schedule 
of Proposed Actions; letters to Indian Tribes, agencies, organizations 
and individuals who may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
activities; and a legal notice in The Wenatchee World newspaper. A 
public meeting may be scheduled during the winter/spring of 2006. The 
scoping process will include identifying potential issues, identifying 
major issues to be analyzed in depth, eliminating non-significant 
issues or those previously covered by a relevant environmental 
analysis, exploring additional alternatives derived from the issues 
recognized during scoping activities, and identifying potential 
environmental effects of the proposed action and alternatives (i.e., 
direct, indirect and cumulative effects and connected actions).
    Comments received in response to this notice, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on this Proposed Action and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have 
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR part 215. 
Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may request the 
agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing how 
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that under the 
FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited 
circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest Service 
will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the 
request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the 
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address within a 
specified number of days.

Electronic Access and Filing Addresses

    Comments and data may be submitted by sending electronic mail (e-
mail) to: comments_wenatchee_river@fs.fed.us. Include the project 
name in the e-mail subject line and submit comments either as part of 
the e-mail message or as an attachment in one of the following three 
formats: Microsoft Word, rich text format (rtf) or Adobe Portable 
Document Format (pdf).

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary issues include the following: Effects to late-
successional habitat of the Deadhorse Late Successional Reserve and the 
Natapoc Managed Late Successional Area; effects of the proposed 
activities on the scenic and recreational qualities of the Wenatchee 
Wild and Scenic River corridor; effects on the Wenatchee River 
fisheries, riparian reserves, grizzly bear core habitat, spotted owl 
critical habitat, deer winter range, large old trees, and noxius weeds; 
disturbance to heritage resources; ability of the proposed activities 
to contribute to restoration of sustainable vegetative composition, 
structure and pattern; and the degree to which activities will reduce 
fuels in critical wildland-urban interface areas.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register. The draft EIS is expected to be 
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be 
available for review in April 2005 and the final EIS is expected to be 
completed by July 2005.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is

[[Page 69310]]

meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft EIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the 
final EIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. 
Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, 
Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of 
these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this 
proposed action participate by the close of the 45 day comment period 
so that substantive comments and objections are made available to the 
Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and 
respond to them in the final EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should 
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also 
address the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: November 7, 2005.
Paul Hart,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-22595 Filed 11-14-05; 8:45 am]
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