Kaibab National Forest; Arizona; Warm Fire Recovery Project, 78132-78135 [06-9904]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 249 (Thursday, December 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78132-78135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9904]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kaibab National Forest; Arizona; Warm Fire Recovery Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: This project would address part of the overall restoration 
needs for the approximately 40,000 acres that burned in June through 
July 2006 in the fire suppression area of the Warm Fire. Specifically, 
this proposal includes salvage of approximately 84.5 million board feet 
(MMBF) (168,987 hundred cubic feet) of fire killed timber on 
approximately 9,990 acres and reforestation through planting conifers 
on approximately 14,690 acres, while allowing approximately 4,050 acres 
to naturally reforest with quaking aspen.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by January 26, 2007. The draft environment impact statement is expected 
May 2007 and the final environmental impact statement is expected 
September 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to District Ranger, North Kaibab 
Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest, P.O. Box 248, 430 S. Main 
Street, Fredonia, AZ 86022, or fax: 928-643-8105. Comments may be 
submitted by e-mail in word (.doc), rich text format (.rtf), text 
(.txt), or hypertext markup language (.html) to: mailroom_r3_
kaibab@fs.fed.us, please include ``Warm Fire, Attn: Scott Clemans'' in 
the subject line. Oral comments may the provided to Interdisciplinary 
Team Leader Lois Pfeffer by telephone (559) 359-7023 or (307) 754-8197.
    Please call her to set up a time for your oral comments. Comments 
may also be hand delivered weekdays 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the above 
address. To be eligible for appeal, each individual or representative 
from each organization submitting comments must either sign the 
comments or verify their identity upon request.
    For further information, mail correspondence to Lois Pfeffer, 
Environmental Coordinator, TEAMS Planning, 145 East 2nd Street, Powell, 
WY 82435, (550) 359-7023 or Scott Clemans, Kaibab National Forest, 
North Kaibab Ranger District, P.O. Box 248, 430 S. Main Street, 
Fredonia, AZ 86022 (928) 643-8172.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Pfeffer or Scott Clemans (see 
ADDRESSES above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Introduction: The Warm Fire was started by lightning on June 8 and 
was managed as a ``wildland fire use'' fire for approximately 2\1/2\ 
weeks. On June 25, fire management transitioned from a wildland fire 
use to a suppression strategy after winds pushed the fire south outside 
the Maximum Manageable Area, burning over 39,000 acres. On July 1, 2006 
a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team wa assembled to conduct a 
soil and hydrologic assessment and initiate rehabilitation to minimize 
the loss of soil productivity, downstream water quality, and threats to 
human life and property. Rehabilitation of fire lines, repair of storm 
damaged roads, and aerial seeding of the high intensity burned areas 
occurred under the BAER plan. On August 1, 2006 an interdisciplinary 
post-fire assessment team was assembled to assess the status of the 
resources, identify recovery needs, and recommend a program of recovery 
work (beyond BAER). The assessment team identified the levels of tree 
mortality across the wildfire area. The final

[[Page 78133]]

assessment will be available on the Kaibab National Forest Web site 
https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai.
    The National has begun addressing the needs identified in the draft 
assessment including repair of range improvements and removal of hazard 
trees along roads. The Warm Fire Recovery project addresses three of 
the needs identified in the assessment. Public meetings were held to 
discuss the Warm Fire and potential management of the burned areas. 
Comments and recommendations were considered in the formulation of the 
proposed action for this project.

Need for Action

Recovery the Economic Value from Burned Timber

    Thousands of acres of suitable timberland burned in the Warm Fire 
are now occupied by dead and dying trees. The Kaibab Forest Plan 
includes the goal to ``manage suitable timberland to provide a 
sustained level of timber outputs to support local dependent 
industries''. The Plan also includes a guideline for Ecosystem 
Management Area (EMA) 13 to ``salvage stands, or parts thereof, that 
are severely damaged by dwarf mistletoes, insects, fires, windthrow''. 
The Forest Service has a MOU with the State of Utah to jointly identify 
priority restoration needs, build capacity to accomplish needed 
restoration projects and to expand the use of stewardship contracting 
or other tools that encourage local employment in order to benefit the 
management of the National Forests and communities of the Central 
Colorado Plateau.
    There is a need to recover economic value of some of the burned 
timber before the commercial value of the wood is lost to 
deterioration. Jobs created from the sale of salvage material could 
provide positive benefits to the local community. Also, salvage harvest 
would help reduce the costs associated with meeting desired fuel 
conditions in portions of the burned area.

Reforest Burned Conifer Stands and Move Toward Longer-Term Desired 
Conditions

    Long-term desired conditions based on reference conditions (Fule, 
et al., 2003a; Gildar and Fule, 2004; White and Vankat, 1993) and 
Kaibab Forest Plan Direction include:
     Forest stands dominated by the appropriate species, which 
includes both conifers and quaking aspen as determined as the site 
level.
     Uneven-aged stand conditions.
     Relatively low stand densities in ponderosa pine dominated 
stands, with higher densities in mixed conifer stands.
     Surface fuel levels are such that reflects the historic 
fire regime (relatively frequent and low to mixed fire intensity) and 
the associated ecological processes are maintained.
     Collectively, these conditions provide suitable habitat 
for nature wildlife species, including Northern Gashawks, Mexican 
Spotted Owls, and their prey species.
    The Kaibab Forest Plan includes a standard for EMA 13 to 
``formulate, design, and propose operations or improvements that 
contribute, over time, to the achievement of desired resource or 
ecological conditions in landscapes''.
    Large areas of conifer stands were killed by the fire and now have 
few and poorly distributed seed sources. Natural conifer regenerations 
may take decades. There is a need to establish a course toward longer-
term desired conditions by assuring regeneration of forest cover in the 
near term. There is a need to establish conifer seedlings in areas 
where conifer seed sources are now lacking. The early establishment of 
conifers (e.g. by planting seedlings) and management to reduce future 
large fuel hazards would provide the greatest assurance that conifers 
would be a significant components of the next generation of forest 
vegetation in the burned area. In order to protect the reforested 
stands from future wildland fires that would need to be managed to 
become resilient to low and moderate intensity fires. There is a need 
to protect and accelerate the recovery of habitat conditions that would 
provide for the needs of native wildlife.

Break Up Fuel Continuity in the Burned Area

    There are currently thousands of acres of fire killed trees that 
will eventually fall to the ground, resulting in high loading of large 
fuels over extensive areas. Future fire intensity and severity is 
expected to be higher increasing the risk of soil damage due to large 
woody fuel accumulations.
    The Kaibab Forest Plan provides fire protection guidelines for EMA 
13 that include:
     Provide fire protection to restrict wildfire size to 20 
acres.
     Minimize acreage burned by high intensity fires.
    The Forest Plan also provides the following guideline for fuel 
management in EMA 13: ``Priority for fuel treatment investment is given 
to: a. Rural-urban interface; b. Areas which exceed the burning 
conditions which yield the historical, 50 percentile rate of fire 
spread in fuel model K; c. Maintenance of existing fuelbreaks and fuel 
reduction corridors.''
    There is a need to reduce fuels in certain areas in order to 
increase the likelihood of safe and successful fire protection efforts 
in the future. These areas should have a strategic spatial arrangement 
and need to provide areas for relatively safe and effective management 
of future fires (both wildland and prescribed). The objective in these 
areas is to promote, over the longer term, fuel conditions with low 
surface fire intensity and fire severity, low resistance to fire line 
construction,; collectively helping to reduce the likelihood of future 
large, high intensity fires and protecting reforestation efforts.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for the Warm Fire Recovery project is to:
     Recover the economic value from burned timber. There is a 
need to recover economic value of some of the burned timber before the 
commercial value of the wood is lost to deterioration. Jobs created 
from the sale of salvage material could provide positive benefits to 
the local community. Also, salvage harvest would help reduce the costs 
associated with meeting desired fuel conditions in portions of the 
burned area.
     Reforest burned conifer stands and move toward longer-term 
desired conditions. There is a need to establish a course toward 
longer-term desired conditions by assuring regeneration of forest cover 
in the near term. There is a need to establish confier seedlings in 
areas where conifer seed sources are now lacking. The early 
establishment of conifers (e.g. by planting seedings) and management to 
reduce future large fuel hazards would provide the greatest assurance 
that conifers would be a significant component of the next generation 
of forest vegetation in the burned area. In order to protect the 
reforested stands from future wildland fires they would need to be 
managed to become resilient to low and moderate inensity fires. There 
is a need to protect and accelerate the recovery of habitat conditions 
that would provide for the needs of native wildlife.
     Break up fuel continuity in the burned area. There is a 
need to reduce fuels in certain areas in order to increase the 
likelihood of safe and successful fire protection efforts in the 
future. These areas should have a strategic spatial arrangement and 
need to provide areas for relatively safe and effective management of 
future fires (both wildland and prescribed). The objective in these 
areas is to promote, over the

[[Page 78134]]

longer term, fuel conditions with low surface fire intensity and fire 
severity, low resistance to fire line construction,; collectively 
helping to educe the likelihood of future large, high intensity fires 
and protecting reforestation efforts.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is limited to the area within the Warm Wildfire 
area. Comments received from the public stakeholders were reviewed when 
determining where salvage logging may be appropriate. The following 
criteria were used to determine whether an area would be appropriate 
for treatment or not.
     Wildlife: Large blocks of snags and travel corridors for 
Mexican spotted owl and goshawk habitat would be reserved. These areas 
were combined with 100 foot buffers along drainages identified in the 
USGS National Hydrography Dataset stream layer. These areas would 
provide habitat with no ground disturbance within the project area.
     Economics: Stands considered for salvage include those 
with at least 3-4 MBF volume per acre in trees greater than 14 inches 
diameter. Smaller diameter material is anticipated to lose value 
quickly.
     Soils: Forest Plan direction allows harvest on slopes 
under 40 percent. Ground based equipment is on average limited to 
slopes less than 30 percent. Highly erosive soils that burned with high 
intensity were reviewed on the ground. To protect soils on steeper 
slopes, ground disturbing activities were limited to occur on slopes 
less than 20 percent and up to 100 feet into areas on slopes over 20 
percent, but under 30 percent. The approximately breakdown in potential 
salvage logging by slope are: 8,230 acres percent of the salvage 
logging are on slopes between 20-30% slopes and approximately 250 acres 
of salvage logging on slopes over 30% adjacent to other salvage areas.
     Fire severity: Areas with moderate to high mortality were 
considered for salvage logging. Low severity burn areas with green 
trees were removed from salvge consideration.
     Reforestation needs: Areas with adequate aspen 
regeneration were identified for aspen restoration opportunities. 
Planting was identified for areas with high to moderate mortality that 
don't have an aspen response, are lacking a seed source and where 
suitble soil conditions exist to ensure a resonable change of 
reforestation success. Planting was also proposeed to ensure a 
reasonable chance of reforestation success. Planting was also proposed 
to encourage mixed conifer species composition for some of the areas 
that are designated Mexican spotted owl habitat.
    The actions developed to address teh needs are as follows:
     Salvage logging on approximately 9,990 acres resulting in 
removal of approximately 84.5 MMBF of timber products.
     Salvage logging on approximately 9,990 acres resulting in 
removal of approximately 84.5 MMBF of timber products.
     Approximately 14,690 acres of reforestation need were 
identified in the wildfires aera. Reforestation proposed for the 
wildfire area includes allowing aspen to naturally regenerate on 
approximately 4,050 acres, planting on ponderosa pine on 5,370 acres, 
and planting of mixed conifers (ponderosa pine and Douglas fir) on 
5,270 acres. In designated Mexican Spotted Owl habitat planting would 
occur to encourage mixed conifer habitat development.
     Slash disposal/fuels treatments would be conducted on some 
salvage logged areas to protect future regeneration and may include lop 
and scatter of tops and limbs, chipping, mastication, and/or hand pile 
or jackpot burning.

Responsible Official

    Michael Williams, Forest Supervisor, Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. 
6th Street, Williams AZ 86046.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether to salvage fire-killed timber 
from the Warm Wildfire area as proposed or in what manner, the level of 
reforestation planting, and what mitigation measures would be in 
effect.

Scoping Process

    Scoping letters will be sent to those that previously indicated 
interest in the War Fire. Comments received will; be reviewed and 
alternatives developed to address comments as needed.

Preliminary Issues

    The following resource issues have been identified and will be 
addressed in the analysis:
     Direct, indirect, and cumulative soil and watershed 
effects in the burned area.
     Effects to wildlife (particularly MIS and TES species) and 
consistency with the intent of the Grand Canyon Game Preserve Act.
     Visual quality along the North Rim Scenic Byway.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments most 
helpful tot he project development are those which specifically 
identify issues caused or related to the proposed action. More 
information about this and other projects in the Warm Fire area is 
available on the Kaibab National Forest Web site at https://
www.fx.fed.us/r3/kai.

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 data the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    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 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
533 (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 January 2007 scoping 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 environmental impact statement. To assist 
the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns 
on the proposed action, comments ont he 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

[[Page 78135]]

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: December 20, 2006.
Elizabeth M. Schuppert,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 06-9904 Filed 12-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M