Escalante Ranger District, Dixie National Forest; Utah; Pockets Resource Management Project, 34880-34881 [06-5466]
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34880
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 116 / Friday, June 16, 2006 / Notices
Ranger District, 755 West Main, PO Box
246, Escalante, Utah 84726.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Escalante Ranger District, Dixie
National Forest; Utah; Pockets
Resource Management Project
Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Dixie National Forest
proposes specific commercial timber
harvest, pre-commercial stand
treatment, and fencing in the Pockets
Project area. These actions will
contribute to meeting the Dixie National
Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan (LRMP) goals and objectives and
comply with the standards and
guidelines set in the LRMP. Connected
with the commercial timber harvest is
road system modification, including
changes in the forest road system, road
construction, reconstruction,
maintenance, and travel management.
The proposed treatments are needed at
this time due to a spruce bark beetle
(Dendroctonus refipennis) epidemic. In
some stands, beetle attacks have
removal most of the live Engelman
spruce trees greater than 12 inches
diameter at breast height. Timely
removal of insect infested spruce trees
can reduce current tree mortality from
spruce bark beetle. The development of
diverse healthy stands can help reduce
the risk and extent of future outbreaks.
The Pockets Resource Management
Project is located completely within
public lands on the Dixie National
Forest, Escalante Ranger District. It is
approximately 22 miles northwest of
Escalante, Utah. The 8,564 acre project
area is located within the Antimony
Creek, Coyote hollow-Antimony Creek,
and pacer Lake watersheds. The project
area is located between 8,712 and
10,243 feet above sea level within the
Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir,
Douglas-fir, and aspen forest cover
types.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by July
31, 2006 to be helpful. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected November 2006 and the final
environmental impact statement is
expected March 2007
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Gina Lampmann, District Ranger,
Escalante Ranger District, 755 West
Main, PO Box 246, Escalante, Utah
84726. Comments may also be e-mailed
to: comments-intermtn-dixieescalante@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pockets Project Manager, Escalante
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:25 Jun 15, 2006
Jkt 208001
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this proposed action
for the spruce/fir component of the
forest is to salvage spruce beetle killed
Engelmann spruce, reduce long term
fuel loadings, improve the balance of
age class distribution, decrease stand
densities, and reduce tree mortality
from spruce beetle on 3,715 acres. There
is a need to reduce stand densities on
up to 3,024 acres emphasizing
harvesting stands that are highly or
moderately susceptible to attack by
forest pests. This will increase tree
growth and vigor, and create stand
conditions that are less conducive to
increased bark beetle populations and
disease. There is also a need to reduce
beetle activity on an additional 691
acres, which are within desired stand
density levels, and to salvage beetle
killed Engelmann spruce trees to reduce
long term fuel loading.
The purpose of this proposed action
for the aspen component of the forest is
to restore both the distribution and
balance of the age-classes for serial
aspen clones (seedling/saplings, young
to mature, and older than 80 years)
using timber cutting. There is a need to
convert mature and over-mature aspen
stands that are succeeding to conifer to
the regeneration age class on
approximately 350 acres. In addition,
approximately 433 acres of aspen will
have the understory conifer trees
removed using non-commercial
methods to delay succession.
The purpose of the proposed riparian
treatment is to improve riparian health
along the Antimony Creek stream bank.
There is a need to increase the presence
of healthy willow trees along the stream
bank, and to reduce the encroachment
of conifer along both the stream bank
and meadow. Removal of spruce trees
will allow for additional space for
willow tree establishment and provide
conditions suitable for a diverse age
class of willow.
The purpose of the proposed road
work is to provide a transportation
system that safely facilities timber
harvest and related activities and meets
Best Management Practices (BMP).
There is a need to modify the
transportation system to allow for the
safe removal of timber and the
completion of post sale activities while
meeting BMPs associated with timber
harvest haul roads. A Travel
Management Plan also needs to be
developed to provide a long-term
system of roads and motorized trails to
meet the variety of uses occurring
within the project area while protecting
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the natural resources. There is also a
need to prevent future user developed
roads by restricting off road use,
particularly in riparian areas.
Proposed Action
About 3,024 acres of Engelmann
spruce/sub-alpine fir forest would be
harvested commercially using a
combination of intermediate and
sanitation/salvage treatments. Following
the timber harvest, 548 of these acres
would be treated with a pre-commercial
thinning in which a portion of the
smaller diameter trees would be cut.
Finally, sanitation/salvage timber
harvest, removing only spruce beetleinfested and recently killed trees, would
be implemented on another 691 acres of
spruce/fir.
Of the approximately 2,647 acres of
aspen in the project area, approximately
350 acres would be clear-cut in 12
blocks of up to 40 acres in size using a
commercial timber harvest. An
additional 433 acres of aspen would be
treated by hand cutting understory
conifer trees less than 8 inches in
diameter at breast height (DBH).
Within approximately 82 acres along
the Antimony Creek drainage, conifer
trees greater than or equal to 6″ DBH
would be girdled to create snags.
Conifer trees smaller than 6″ DBH
would be cut by hand and left on the
ground.
Approximately 9.0 miles of new roads
would be constructed and added to the
forest road system. Approximately 7.0
miles of currently unauthorized roads
would be added to the NFS road system.
Up to 13.4 miles of existing NFS roads
would be improved for timber hauling.
Possible Alternatives
The Forest Service will likely
consider an alternative to the proposed
action that reduces permanent road
construction.
Responsible Official
Robert A. Russell, Forest Supervisor,
Dixie National Forest, 1789 Wedgewood
Lane, Cedar City, UT 84720.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official must decide
whether to proceed with the project as
proposed, to proceed by an alternative
method, or to forgo the project at this
time.
Scoping Process
In addition to the publication of this
notice in the Federal Register, the Dixie
National Forest will mail a copy of the
proposed action to those individuals
and groups who may be affected by the
proposed action or who have expressed
E:\FR\FM\16JNN1.SGM
16JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 116 / Friday, June 16, 2006 / Notices
interest in the proposed action. The
mailing will contain instructions for
submitting comments and will request
that comments be submitted by the
close of the scoping period, July 31,
2006.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Preliminary Issues
Timber harvest and road construction
may impact the undeveloped
characteristics of a portion of the project
area.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement. The Forest Service
uses scoping early in its projects as a
means to gather information about
significant, site-specific issues that are
directly elated to the proposed action.
Comments that express concern about a
resource but include no specific
information regarding how the proposed
action will affect that resource, do not
constitute issues. Issues that the
analysis shows to be significant will be
resolved through project mitigation
measures or through the development of
alternatives that address those particular
issues. While your comments are always
welcome, comments received by July
31, 2006 will be most helpful.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment
period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 45 days from
the date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes the notice of
availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Services 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
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 environmental impact
statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final
environmental impact statement 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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:25 Jun 15, 2006
Jkt 208001
action participate by the close of the 45day Draft Environmental Impact
Statement comment period (expected in
November, 2006) so that 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
environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft environmental
impact statement 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 environmental
impact statement 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.
Comments received, including the
names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposal and will
be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: June 6, 2006.
Robert A. Russell,
Forest Supervisor, Dixie National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06–5466 Filed 6–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln
County, MT; Grizzly Vegetation and
Transportation Management Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Forest Service will
prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to disclose the
environmental effects of vegetation
management, fuels reduction, watershed
rehabilitation activities, wildlife habitat
improvement, and access management
changes, including road
decommissioning. The project is located
in the Grizzly planning subunit on the
Three Rivers Ranger District, Kootenai
National Forest, Lincoln County,
Montana, and northeast of Troy,
Montana.
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
34881
Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis should be received by
July 17, 2006. The draft environmental
impact statement is expected to be
available by February, 2007, and the
final environmental impact statement is
expected by June, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Doug Grupenhoff, Acting District
Ranger, Three Rivers Ranger District,
1437 N. Hwy 2, Troy, MT 59935. Submit
electronic comments to
bdhiggins@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact Bruce Higgins, Team Leader at
559–920–2165.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
project area is approximately 18 air
miles northeast of Troy, Montana,
within all or portions of T34N, R32W–
R33W, T35N, R32W–R33w, and T36N,
R32W–R33W, Lincoln County,
Montana.
DATES:
Purpose and Need for Action
The objectives of the Grizzly
Vegetation and Transportation
Management Project are to: (1) Restore
healthy diverse forest conditions by
increasing western white pine and
western larch, increasing mixed fire
regime vegetation characteristics, and
enhancing aspen habitat; (2) reduce fuel
loadings and potential fire hazards by
thinning dense stands, removing dead
and dying lodgepole pine and other
species, and reintroducing fire into the
landscape to reduce conifer
encroachment; (3) increase grizzly bear
habitat and reduce watershed resource
damage by decommissioning roads,
implementing best management
practices, and abandoning roads not
necessary for future management access;
and (4) produce forest products to
contribute towards local and regional
economies.
Proposed Action
Vegetation treatments include:
Commercial timber harvest of 387 acers
of clearcut with reserves, 168 acres of
seed tree with reserves, 536 acres of
commercial thinning, 218 acres of
lodgepole salvage, and 125 acres of
aspen release. Approximately 572 acres
of existing plantations would be
precommercial thinned.
Transportation actions include:
Decommissioning 30.0 miles of road,
abandonment of 17 miles, conversion of
2.4 miles of road to trails, putting into
storage 20.5 miles of road for grizzly
bear habitat needs, and applying best
management practices to reduce
sediment delivery on 55 miles of road.
Approximately 2.7 miles of temporary
road would be constructed to access
E:\FR\FM\16JNN1.SGM
16JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34880-34881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5466]
[[Page 34880]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Escalante Ranger District, Dixie National Forest; Utah; Pockets
Resource Management Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Dixie National Forest proposes specific commercial timber
harvest, pre-commercial stand treatment, and fencing in the Pockets
Project area. These actions will contribute to meeting the Dixie
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) goals and
objectives and comply with the standards and guidelines set in the
LRMP. Connected with the commercial timber harvest is road system
modification, including changes in the forest road system, road
construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and travel management. The
proposed treatments are needed at this time due to a spruce bark beetle
(Dendroctonus refipennis) epidemic. In some stands, beetle attacks have
removal most of the live Engelman spruce trees greater than 12 inches
diameter at breast height. Timely removal of insect infested spruce
trees can reduce current tree mortality from spruce bark beetle. The
development of diverse healthy stands can help reduce the risk and
extent of future outbreaks. The Pockets Resource Management Project is
located completely within public lands on the Dixie National Forest,
Escalante Ranger District. It is approximately 22 miles northwest of
Escalante, Utah. The 8,564 acre project area is located within the
Antimony Creek, Coyote hollow-Antimony Creek, and pacer Lake
watersheds. The project area is located between 8,712 and 10,243 feet
above sea level within the Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir, Douglas-fir,
and aspen forest cover types.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by July 31, 2006 to be helpful. The draft environmental impact
statement is expected November 2006 and the final environmental impact
statement is expected March 2007
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Gina Lampmann, District Ranger,
Escalante Ranger District, 755 West Main, PO Box 246, Escalante, Utah
84726. Comments may also be e-mailed to: comments-intermtn-dixie-
escalante@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pockets Project Manager, Escalante
Ranger District, 755 West Main, PO Box 246, Escalante, Utah 84726.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this proposed action for the spruce/fir component of
the forest is to salvage spruce beetle killed Engelmann spruce, reduce
long term fuel loadings, improve the balance of age class distribution,
decrease stand densities, and reduce tree mortality from spruce beetle
on 3,715 acres. There is a need to reduce stand densities on up to
3,024 acres emphasizing harvesting stands that are highly or moderately
susceptible to attack by forest pests. This will increase tree growth
and vigor, and create stand conditions that are less conducive to
increased bark beetle populations and disease. There is also a need to
reduce beetle activity on an additional 691 acres, which are within
desired stand density levels, and to salvage beetle killed Engelmann
spruce trees to reduce long term fuel loading.
The purpose of this proposed action for the aspen component of the
forest is to restore both the distribution and balance of the age-
classes for serial aspen clones (seedling/saplings, young to mature,
and older than 80 years) using timber cutting. There is a need to
convert mature and over-mature aspen stands that are succeeding to
conifer to the regeneration age class on approximately 350 acres. In
addition, approximately 433 acres of aspen will have the understory
conifer trees removed using non-commercial methods to delay succession.
The purpose of the proposed riparian treatment is to improve
riparian health along the Antimony Creek stream bank. There is a need
to increase the presence of healthy willow trees along the stream bank,
and to reduce the encroachment of conifer along both the stream bank
and meadow. Removal of spruce trees will allow for additional space for
willow tree establishment and provide conditions suitable for a diverse
age class of willow.
The purpose of the proposed road work is to provide a
transportation system that safely facilities timber harvest and related
activities and meets Best Management Practices (BMP). There is a need
to modify the transportation system to allow for the safe removal of
timber and the completion of post sale activities while meeting BMPs
associated with timber harvest haul roads. A Travel Management Plan
also needs to be developed to provide a long-term system of roads and
motorized trails to meet the variety of uses occurring within the
project area while protecting the natural resources. There is also a
need to prevent future user developed roads by restricting off road
use, particularly in riparian areas.
Proposed Action
About 3,024 acres of Engelmann spruce/sub-alpine fir forest would
be harvested commercially using a combination of intermediate and
sanitation/salvage treatments. Following the timber harvest, 548 of
these acres would be treated with a pre-commercial thinning in which a
portion of the smaller diameter trees would be cut. Finally,
sanitation/salvage timber harvest, removing only spruce beetle-infested
and recently killed trees, would be implemented on another 691 acres of
spruce/fir.
Of the approximately 2,647 acres of aspen in the project area,
approximately 350 acres would be clear-cut in 12 blocks of up to 40
acres in size using a commercial timber harvest. An additional 433
acres of aspen would be treated by hand cutting understory conifer
trees less than 8 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH).
Within approximately 82 acres along the Antimony Creek drainage,
conifer trees greater than or equal to 6'' DBH would be girdled to
create snags. Conifer trees smaller than 6'' DBH would be cut by hand
and left on the ground.
Approximately 9.0 miles of new roads would be constructed and added
to the forest road system. Approximately 7.0 miles of currently
unauthorized roads would be added to the NFS road system. Up to 13.4
miles of existing NFS roads would be improved for timber hauling.
Possible Alternatives
The Forest Service will likely consider an alternative to the
proposed action that reduces permanent road construction.
Responsible Official
Robert A. Russell, Forest Supervisor, Dixie National Forest, 1789
Wedgewood Lane, Cedar City, UT 84720.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The responsible official must decide whether to proceed with the
project as proposed, to proceed by an alternative method, or to forgo
the project at this time.
Scoping Process
In addition to the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, the Dixie National Forest will mail a copy of the proposed
action to those individuals and groups who may be affected by the
proposed action or who have expressed
[[Page 34881]]
interest in the proposed action. The mailing will contain instructions
for submitting comments and will request that comments be submitted by
the close of the scoping period, July 31, 2006.
Preliminary Issues
Timber harvest and road construction may impact the undeveloped
characteristics of a portion of the project area.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest
Service uses scoping early in its projects as a means to gather
information about significant, site-specific issues that are directly
elated to the proposed action. Comments that express concern about a
resource but include no specific information regarding how the proposed
action will affect that resource, do not constitute issues. Issues that
the analysis shows to be significant will be resolved through project
mitigation measures or through the development of alternatives that
address those particular issues. While your comments are always
welcome, comments received by July 31, 2006 will be most helpful.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal
Register.
The Forest Services 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
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 environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement 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 Draft Environmental Impact
Statement comment period (expected in November, 2006) so that 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
environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement 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
environmental impact statement 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.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: June 6, 2006.
Robert A. Russell,
Forest Supervisor, Dixie National Forest.
[FR Doc. 06-5466 Filed 6-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M